Every year, RCM&D chooses well-deserving local nonprofit organizations to be the recipients of our year-round fundraising and volunteer initiatives. The result of these endeavors is commemorated during our annual Regatta event, a delightful waterfront festivity hosted at the picturesque Inner Harbor in Baltimore. Mark your calendars for this year’s occasion on Friday, September 15. As we approach this year’s celebration, we will shine a spotlight on our chosen beneficiaries, showcasing the incredible impact they make within our communities on a daily basis.
About Horizon Day Camp
Horizon Day Camp, a proud member of the Sunrise Day Camps Association, is based in Baltimore and serves children throughout the Maryland region extending as far south as Washington D.C. Since the organization’s origin, their mission has been to bring back the joys of childhood for children with cancer and their siblings through a seven week summer day camp, year-round programs and in-hospital recreational activities – all offered free of charge and funded by donations. Because Horizon is a day camp, the children are able to enjoy camp activities, continue their medical treatment and enjoy the comfort and safety of staying in their own homes at night.
The Magic of Horizon: From Campers to Counselors
In 2022, Sunrise Association ran 10 in-person day camps, with a total of 1,844 campers enrolled. In addition, there were almost 50 Sunrise and Horizon Day Camp counselors who returned that had once been campers. “These kids have had such an incredible and impactful experience at Sunrise that they want to pay it forward to other kids,” said Deanna Slade, Vice President of Camping and Related Services and the Director of Sunrise Day Camp-Long Island. “The campers turned-staff have seen their counselors as their role models and want to give back to our current campers.”
This story was true for Hina Zahid as well, who first came to camp at the age of 9, after battling a brain tumor twice in her early childhood. The camp offered Hina “an immediate safe space,” she explained. “It wasn’t about treatment or cancer – it was about having fun.”
Once Hina aged out of the camper program, she returned the following summer as a counselor and has served in that role ever since. “I wanted nothing more than to give back to the greatest place on Earth and help other kids experience the same magic as I did,” she said.
Upcoming Event: HorizonWALKS
Mark your calendars on Sunday, October 15 at 8:00 a.m. to join HorizonWALKS and help raise the critical funds needed to support Horizon Day Camp! Each year, Horizon hosts this fun celebration at Power Plant Live in Baltimore including music, food, a scenic group walk around the Inner Harbor and more. Costumes the day of the walk are encouraged, and small, friendly, furry friends are also welcome! Register here to join or create a team today!
How the RCM&D Regatta will Help
Funding from the RCM&D Regatta will play a key role in sending more than 175 children impacted by cancer to the local Horizon Day camp in Baltimore, where they can enjoy a safe environment filled with excitement, friendship and adventure. Horizon Day Camp relies on donations to offer free services, including transportation, and directly funds facility rental, program supplies, 50 summer staff, nurses and counselors, and special events that make up a magical summer.
Learn More
To learn more about Horizon Day Camp, visit their website or view a quick video to see the organization at a glance. For additional information about the Regatta, click here.