Many people hope to give back to their communities, but to dedicate more than two decades of support to a particular organization or cherished cause is unusual and worth noting. Ever since starting out as a cabin counselor in 1985, during the early days of Camp Sunshine, Joseph Warlick Whitwell has truly enjoyed his work as a cabin counselor and mentor to young children suffering from cancer. Having worked for several stints over the last few decades, he meets a new milestone this year in his dedicated volunteer and fundraising work for the camp: in 2013, Joseph Warlick Whitwell will complete his 13th year of service to Camp Sunshine.

“I knew I’d be sticking around from my first summer at Camp Sunshine,” says Joseph Warlick Whitwell, who notes that he has also volunteered as a ski instructor for the camp and has even accompanied campers on educational adventures to historical sites in Washington, D.C. “The kids really found a place where they could have fun and be kids in Camp Sunshine. I was so excited to be part of this special time, when they could relax and enjoy themselves and, most of all, to get a chance to see that they are not alone in their struggle, that there are other kids like them, that they can be in a safe space to be themselves.”

Joseph Warlick Whitwell has made good on this promise. The staff of Camp Sunshine is happy to report that Joseph Warlick Whitwell is one volunteer they can count on to show up at Camp Sunshine every summer with renewed enthusiasm for the work at hand. Joseph Warlick Whitwell enjoys the strong community of staff members at Camp Sunshine and reports that they all take pride in their difficult but very rewarding work.

“We’re all here for the kids,” says Joseph Warlick Whitwell, “That’s why we keep coming back. Because we want to make the experience of being at Camp Sunshine a fun, safe, and comfortable time for them, something that they will treasure and remember and that makes them feel strong and empowered in the face of their illnesses.”

Indeed, Joseph Warlick Whitwell reports that, sometimes, a happy visit to Camp Sunshine can be the catalyst that helps kids with cancer move forward in their healing and recovery.

“I truly believe that for some kids, coming to Camp Sunshine keeps them feeling strong and fighting,” says Joseph Warlick Whitwell. “A little encouragement can go a long way in helping a sick kid feel like anything is possible.”

It is this opportunity to give hope to sick children that keeps Joseph Warlick Whitwell coming back to Camp Sunshine. “If we can make their experience even a little bit better, I want to be part of that,” says Joseph Warlick Whitwell, “I know it can make a positive difference, because I’ve seen it firsthand.”