Forty years in the life of an organization holds many memories, and it goes without saying that very few people remember those very early days of the forming of an organization. At Camp Sunshine, we are incredibly grateful to one particular family who has been with us from the beginning.
In 1983, Camp Sunshine started with 25 campers, paired 1:1 with a counselor. One of our early campers was Lana Antvelink. Like many who have graced our grounds in the past 40 years, Lana found Camp Sunshine to be a place where she belonged, and where she was deeply loved. Her parents recalled that every year, after her March birthday, Lana would begin the countdown to camp. On March 14, 2002 Lana passed from this earth, and for her family, they longed to hold the memory of Lana and wanted to find a way to carry her memory on.
Lana’s brother Jeff, with the assistance of his family, organized a golf outing in memory of his sister as one way to offer remembrance. Later, the family established the Lana Antvelink Endowment which was to benefit Camp Sunshine. For the next twenty years, the golf outing raised funds for the endowment and supported the Camp Sunshine general fund.
At the end of 2022, the Antvelink’s made the tough decision to step away from organizing the golf outing. We give thanks to the entire Antvelink family who have helped ensure the future of Camp Sunshine, as well as the memory of their beloved Lana.
Today, the Lana Antvelink Endowment, housed at the Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland Area, provides scholarship funds for current campers. In 2022, the endowments provided financial support to 20 Campers at Camp Sunshine.
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