"That's the Lady Who Told Me About Sunrise Day Camp": Joy Zelin's Paul McCartney Story

Joy Zelin walked into her first Sunrise Day Camp convinced she wouldn't be able to handle what she was about to see. What she found instead were the happiest kids in the world, and a purpose she never went looking for. Today she is Board Chair of Sunrise Association, and she has visited roughly ten camps across the country, from Long Island to Atlanta, where the accents change but the songs and the morning Roundup never do. In this episode, Joy shares the story of a nervous four-year-old who came running across the field two summers later to hug his aunt, the lesson she teaches her husband's new associates every year about what money can and cannot buy you, and the Christmas morning she walked up to Paul McCartney in a hotel buffet room to tell him that one of his concerts is the reason 14 Sunrise camps exist. It is a conversation about showing up, and about what happens when you do. Topics Covered: How a cup of coffee in Westchester, hosted while Sunrise was opening its Pearl River camp, turned into a lifelong commitment Why Joy was nervous before her first camp visit, and what actually happened when she walked through the gate What it's like to visit nearly ten Sunrise camps, and what stays exactly the same at every single one Aurora, Horizon, Sunrise: why the name on the sign never changes the feeling on the field Growing from one camp to a national and international footprint while holding onto the one Sunrise family culture The lesson Joy teaches a new class of young professionals at camp every summer about philanthropy, presence, and joy The story of a four-year-old camper, his nervous mother and aunt, and the run across the field that made it all real Why children in the hospital miss more than school, and how camp restores the social and emotional experiences of childhood Joy's own camp roots, and the friendships from childhood camp that she still has today The full Paul McCartney story: the concert ticket that inspired Arnie Preminger, the hotel buffet room, the Sunrise hat, and the fist bump at dinner The open invitation still standing for Sir Paul to visit a Sunrise camp ✨ About Sunrise Association The Sunrise Association brings back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide through the creation of inclusive day camps, year-round programs, and in-hospital recreational activities, all completely free of charge. We serve approximately 77,000 children annually across 15 day camps, 85+ weekly in-hospital programs, and virtual platforms. Learn more at Sunrise Association - https://www.sunriseassociation.org/