The Care Camps Foundation is leveraging the national theatrical release of the coming-of-age comedy “Sunny Dancer” on Friday, September 18 to raise public awareness for real-life pediatric oncology camps across the United States and Canada.
Distributed by Quiver Distribution, “Sunny Dancer” follows Ivy, a teenager in remission played by Bella Ramsey, who is sent by her parents to a camp for youth affected by cancer.
Directed and written by 25-year-old George Jaques, whose mother survived breast cancer, the fictional film highlights the emotional transition and sense of belonging experienced by young people after cancer treatment ends.
Founded in 1984, the Care Camps Foundation funds medically supervised oncology camps operated by members of the Children’s Oncology Camping Association, which oversees medical standards, staff training, and accreditation.
The Billings, Montana-based nonprofit has raised more than $30 million since its inception to support 126 oncology camps across the United States and Canada.
In 2025 alone, these programs served more than 47,000 children with cancer, their siblings, and parents at no cost to attending families.
“What Ivy finds at camp in the film – the friendships, the belonging, the feeling of finally being around people who understand what you’ve been through without having to explain it – that’s exactly right,” Gwynn B. Sullivan, executive director of the Care Camps Foundation, said.
“That’s what these camps do, every year, for tens of thousands of kids, siblings and parents. And for so many of them, it doesn’t stop there – some come back as counselors, and others are so shaped by the experience that they go on to build careers in medicine. Camp changes the trajectory of their lives,” Sullivan added.
The announcement noted that its portrayal of camper support systems, memorializing deceased campers, and the personal connections of camp staff reflect actual operations.
Programming at accredited camps extends beyond patients currently in treatment to include survivors, healthy siblings, and parents through specialized sessions.
“I wanted to make a film about what happens after treatment ends and remission begins: the friendships, the fun, the chance to just be a teenager again,” Jaques said. “‘Sunny Dancer’ isn’t an advertisement for any real camp. It’s my version, made up for the film. But that feeling of finally being around people who get it – that’s the real thing. That’s what I wanted people to feel.”
The Care Camps Foundation does not directly operate the camps it funds, relying instead on the Children’s Oncology Camping Association accreditation framework to manage camp safety and quality.
“Our hope is that this film helps more families discover that these camps exist, because so many still don’t know,” Sullivan said. “We’d love for people to learn more, get involved, or help us bring that experience to the next child and family who needs it.”
