The anticipation is at an all time high for Patricia Shaiye as she awaits for her son and daughter to return from camp this week.

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Shaiye, mother of three, recently immigrated from Nigeria with her family to pursue an education in business analysis.

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Just this week she sent her two oldest — 13-year-old Frederick and 12-year-old Divine — off to Winkler Bible Camp, something she was only able to afford due to the Sunshine Fund.

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“A relative introduced me to the Winkler Bible Camp and, in the process of filling out the form, I noticed the fee for camp,” Shaiye said in a telephone interview earlier this week. “I mentioned to her that I couldn’t afford the whole amount.”

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Shaiye was then introduced to funding meant for families in these situations, ones who want to give their children a camp experience but cannot afford the financial strain involved.

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“I applied to the Sunshine Fund and after a few weeks they responded. They told me how much I needed to pay. It covered most of it which made me very happy,” Shaiye said, who only needed to pay $180 out of the $900 total cost.

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“It was really impressive and made me encourage my kids to go to camp.”

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At first, she was worried about approval for the funds but was quickly relieved when she received a response.

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“The communication was seamless. The process was very easy and I was just told what I needed to do — everything went very smoothly,” she said.

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At Winkler Bible Camp, Frederick and Divine are able to expand their horizons — religiously and recreationally — at the five-day junior intermediate overnight camp.

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At this camp, they offer bible study and daily chapel services as well as a huge variety of outdoor activities. This includes water sports, group games such as human foosball and paintball, as well as skill-based activities like obstacles courses and archery.

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“Because we are Christians, it motivated us to register for the program,” Shaiye commented, saying how important it is that her kids get to explore their religion during this time.

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Shaiye had no doubt that her children would be in good hands, which has been shown in the camp pictures sent to her throughout the week.

In another life, Annaleia was a mermaid and this summer she gets to live her dream aquatic life.

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Darlene Monette, mother of two, is grateful for the Sunshine Fund as she’s able to send her oldest to camp. Seven-year-old Annaleia and five-month-old Airiella keep their parents busy especially during the summer months.

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“Just recently I’ve been on maternity leave so obviously my wages have gone down. We were looking for ways to still give our kids a good summer that stay within our means,” Monette said.

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In just a few weeks, Annaleia will be off to Camp Nutimik, her first time staying at a sleep away camp.

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“(Annaleia) went to a spring break camp at my sister’s church, it was just a day camp. At the wind-up dinner they had somebody from Camp Nutimik come down,” Monette explained, saying her daughter’s interests were piqued and she quickly looked online to learn more about the camp.

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Soon after, she found the Sunshine Fund, which helped knowing the camp was going to be around $400. The process to apply was not only easy, but her daughter was included in explaining why she wanted to go to camp.

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“I liked how the Sunshine Fund has the children be part of the process. They asked my daughter to draw a picture and write out a little paragraph of why she wants to go to camp,” Monette said.

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“She had so much fun doing that. She was able to talk about all the things she’s excited for.”

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Annaleia wrote the following in a letter: “I want to go to camp to make friends and learn about Jesus. I’m excited because camping is my favourite summer activity plus swimming.”

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“My child loves camping and the outdoors. She becomes more sociable during the summer and this experience will be good for her. I am pregnant and will have a newborn so camping may not happen for her this year,” Monette added to the bottom of the letter.

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In March, Monette found out that she was approved and that Annaleia would be on her way to camp. Out of the hundreds of dollars for camp, Monette only had to pay $65 — a huge relief. After finding out, she immediately told her daughter. Annaleia’s response was to start packing, five months early.

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Annaleia is most excited for the water activities.

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“They have an inflatable water park and she’s a water bug. She’s excited for all the swimming,” Monette said.

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The camp also offers fishing, canoeing and kayaking — a water filled dream for her little one.

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Having been to camp once before as a young child, Monette is looking forward to Annaleia experiencing sisterhood.

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“I remember having my camp leader braiding all our hair and then we made these little dances together. We did things together as young girls and I think that is an important memory,” she said.

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With Camp Nutimik being a religious camp, it checks all of Monette’s boxes. Growing up going to church herself, this was a camp that was also recommended in her youth but was never an option.

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“It was always something that I wished my parents could afford to send me to,” Monette said. “It works out that I can send my daughter, that’s even better.”

The Roseau River Bible Camp was an integral part of Jessica Knelsen’s childhood, and she wants it to be a core memory for her daughters, too.

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Knelsen’s eldest daughter, nine-year-old Sophia, is preparing for her third trip to Roseau River, about an hour from the United States border, and this summer’s camp couldn’t have come at a more critical time in their lives.

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Last fall, Knelsen escaped an abusive four-year relationship fraught with domestic violence. Short on the necessary funds to afford an apartment, she spent three months surfing the couches of family members and close friends with her youngest, three-year-old Kacey Glowacki, while she relied on her former in-laws to help with Sophia.

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It was nothing short of a blessing when Knelsen finally found an apartment that she and her daughters could settle into in December. However, now a single mother of two, financial restraints became a barrier to sending Sophia to a summer experience she’s grown fond of over the last few years.

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Despite the challenges she faced, Knelsen was steadfast on making it work.

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“At the end of the day, really, it all comes down to faith. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen the next day. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to send her to camp. But I always say to myself, ‘If God can take care of the birds and the bees, why would he not take care of me?’ So I knew we were going to be OK because I had faith,” Knelsen said.

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“That’s when the Sunshine program came into my life, and I was like, ‘Yes, thank you, God. You are good.’”

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The Sunshine Fund aided 603 children in attending one of the 31 accredited camps across Manitoba and northwestern Ontario last summer, and the organization expects that number to eclipse 700 this year.

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Shortly after applying for this summer’s camp, Knelsen received an email about the financial support offered through the Sunshine Fund. It was yet another blessing for Knelsen, who was afforded an avenue to give her daughter another incredible experience on the heels of their life being turned upside down.

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“I did a lot of praying, and by God’s grace, I found out about the Sunshine Program, so I applied for it,” she said. “I didn’t think I was going to get it, and they accepted it, and that’s part of the reason why she’s going to camp.”

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Knelsen spent eight summers at Roseau River as a kid and credits it for being a big reason why her faith is so strong today.

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“The activities were great — the horsemanship, the swimming, the archery, the riflery, that kind of stuff. But the kids, the people that you meet and their walks of life, like you’re getting people all over Manitoba,” she said.

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“The connections, the worship, was amazing. It was really soul-touching, even as a kid. The emotions that you’d feel, it was pretty beautiful.”

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She wants the same experience for her daughters.

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Young Sophia, who’s been raised in her mother’s faith, has grown increasingly interested in learning more about her religion, too. Knelsen said she believes it is beneficial for her daughter to learn more about the story of God beyond home.

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“I wanted them to get to know Christ in a fun way that I did,” Knelsen said.

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“I had a lot of questions when I was a kid, and the camp, it had some really good leaders that were able to answer my questions in an age-appropriate way.”

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Knelsen said her youngest will also go to bible camp when she is old enough. She’s already seen what it’s done for Sophia.

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“She’s a kid, right? She loves the activities. That’s a big part of her highlights, but she does talk about the songs, and, ‘Mom, I learned this Bible verse,’ and, ‘I remembered,’ and so that’s a big part for me is just the fact that she’s memorizing the Bible,” she said.

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“And then we can talk about it later, and I can kind of explain it to her in different terms, what she read and what she memorized.”

The anticipation of leaving for summer camp grows as Kyla Gearo walks her kids through a list of everything they’ll need in preparation for their five-day adventure.

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As each day passes, her kids grow increasingly more excited as the reality of getting to go to Camp Arnes sets in — a reality Gearo didn’t think was possible before help from the Sunshine Fund.

With the help of Free Press readers, the Sunshine Fund has been able to send children to camps across Manitoba and northwestern Ontario for 46 summers and sent 681 kids to camp in 2025.

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“I wouldn’t have been able to afford it without it, that’s for sure,” said Gearo.

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She said the summer camp — located on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg — costs $700 per child and the subsidy from Sunshine Fund meant she only had to pay $300.

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Gearo said she found out about the Sunshine Fund from a neighbour who was also able to send her kids to Camp Arnes through the program.

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Her kids have always wanted to go to camp and they have lots of family and friends who go every summer that are adding to their excitement.

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“They’re getting my kids hyped up and talking about how much fun they’re going to have,” said Gearo.

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She said her nieces and nephews have been telling them about all the activities at the summer camp and they’ve been talking about it with friends at school who have gone, adding to the buzz in the household.

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The camp has activities like ziplining, archery, high ropes, canoeing, laser tag and an indoor pool.

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Her 11-year-old son Ocean is obsessed with soccer and is looking forward to playing with other kids when he gets to camp in August.

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And her eight-year-old daughter Lake is mostly excited to spend the week with friends who she was able to get a spot with.

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Gearo said her kids often spend time inside playing video games and she’s excited for them to be outside with nature and form new friendships.

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Gearo said she also attended Camp Arnes when she was little along with her sister.

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“I remember doing a lot of the activities and it’s a great opportunity for any kid to get to go to camp,” she said.

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Gearo’s mom was a single mother like herself and could only afford to send her for one summer. She said it means a lot for her to be able to do this for her kids and have the opportunity to send them in the future with the Sunshine Fund.

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This will also be the longest she’s ever been away from her kids but knows that they’ll have the amazing experience she had when she went to the summer camp.

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“I’m kind of nervous but I know they’re in good hands,” she said.

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Gearo said she plans to continue to apply for the Sunshine Fund to keep sending her kids to camp and make lasting memories.

The equestrian life is not often easily accessible, but for Leelan and Foster Palendat, their dreams of horseback riding comes true every summer.

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Amber Palendat has been able to send her two youngest to camp due to the Sunshine Fund.

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The mother of three described the ability to send her sons to camp as a blessing — an opportunity that otherwise would have been hard to achieve.

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“I’m a single parent, working full time without any help,” she explained. “I would have made it happen, but would be in debt for how long trying to pay it off.”

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Instead, 14-year-old Leelan and nine-year-old Foster are given a week of their dreams once a year at Circle Square Ranch thanks to generous donors.

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“There’s horseback riding, wall climbing — all sorts of activities,” Palendat said. “They don’t otherwise do activities like that.”

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Palendat found out about the Sunshine Fund while registering Leelan and Foster for their first summer of camp. A worker from Circle Square Ranch told her about this opportunity if she was in need of financial assistance.

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“I checked out their website, applied for it, (and) I met the credentials. It helped mentally,” she added.

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The process only took 10 minutes of Palendat’s time, which is crucial for a single mother where time is precious. The financial burden that it lifted off her shoulders was extremely beneficial.

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“The last two years it covered every single dollar. This year I believe all together for both boys (it was) under $200 — which is amazing compared to the $1,000 it would have been,” she said.

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The first year Leelan and Foster went was nerve racking for the whole family. But they returned with the biggest smiles their mother had ever seen.

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“The first words out of my older son’s mouth when they (returned) was, ‘I cannot wait to go back next year,’” Palendat said. And thanks to the Sunshine Fund, they will be returning for their third year this summer.

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“I went to Circle Square Ranch as a young girl. I was only able to go one year but it stuck with me all of my life. I just wished to be able to give my kids the same sort of experience,” Palendat added.

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And, while it’s natural for a parent to worry when sending their child off for a week away from home, Palendat knows that her two boys are taken care of.

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“The people at Circle Square Ranch are so great and they communicate well,” she said. “The kids, they’re comfortable and feel respected and safe. It’s just such a safe environment for them.”

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Foster had trouble leaving home the first year but is now counting down the days until he can return.

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The camp also aligns with Palendat’s religious beliefs, which has been eye-opening for her children.

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“It’s been so important,” she said about having camp teach them about Christianity. “As a single mom, I’m doing it on my own so just that extra support and those other perspectives for my boys… It’s been a blessing for us.”

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Leelan and Foster are also able to make friendships that have lasted past the six days they spend at camp and continue to meet new friends every year. And the boys are also able to keep in touch with the friends they make.

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“They’ve had friendships that have lasted these few years and quite possibly long term life friends,” Palendat said.

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“Just having this taken off of the financial load of every year and being able to give the boys an opportunity like that — it’s something that people don’t even understand how amazing it is.”