Honda USA Foundation Awards $100,000 Grant to Sunrise Association
HONDA USA FOUNDATION AWARDS $100,000 GRANT TO SUNRISE ASSOCIATION TO EXPAND PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Chris Strom
Chief Marketing Officer
Sunrise Association
216-647-3959
chris.strom@sunriseassociation.org
New York, NY (April 2026) The Honda USA Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to the Sunrise Association to strengthen programming for children with cancer and their siblings across New York and New Jersey. The investment will support Sunrise on Wheels hospital programs and Sunrise Day Camps on Long Island and in Pearl River and deepen behavioral health services reaching thousands of children and families each year.
Sunrise on Wheels operates year-round in 15 hospitals across the region, reaching more than 6,000 children annually through bedside visits and creative projects that provide relief from the isolation of treatment. With the Foundation’s support, these sessions will continue transforming hospital rooms into spaces of laughter, learning, and connection where children can be engaged, creative, and socialize safely with peers.
At Sunrise Day Camp-Long Island and Sunrise Day Camp-Pearl River, nearly 1,000 children participate in seven and a half weeks of adaptive, medically supervised programming that promotes physical mobility and emotional healing. Every child receives transportation and a full day of interactive camp activities, including individualized support, ensuring that all children can fully participate regardless of medical status or financial situation. All Sunrise programs are offered free of charge.
The grant will also expand Sunrise Support Services by embedding additional trained behavioral health professionals into each camp and strengthen the support across the 15 Sunrise on Wheels hospitals. At camp, these specialists will identify and address emotional and behavioral challenges among children, lead resilience activities that reduce stigma and build coping skills and provide trauma-informed training for staff. In hospital settings, they will deliver monthly and one-on-one support to volunteers who witness family crises and experience their own feelings of loss or emotional distress.
“Every child with cancer deserves to experience joy, belonging, and the emotional support they need to thrive,” said Arnie Preminger, CEO and President of the Sunrise Association. “This generous investment from the Honda USA Foundation allows us to deepen behavioral health integration across our programs so that children, siblings, and the dedicated volunteers who serve them all have the care and resources they need.”
“Trying to navigate life with cancer can be especially taxing for children and their families,” said Jennifer Thomas, Board President, Honda USA Foundation. “We are proud to partner with Sunrise Association to support the integration of essential emotional and behavioral support services across their day camp programs. This investment helps ensure that children living with cancer —as well as their families and the dedicated volunteers who serve them—have access to the compassionate care and support they need to thrive.”
To learn more about Sunrise Association and its programs, visit sunriseassociation.org.
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About Sunrise Association:
The mission of the Sunrise Association is to bring back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide. Sunrise accomplishes this through the creation and oversight of welcoming, inclusive summer day camps, year-round programs and in-hospital recreational activities, all offered free of charge. Learn more at sunriseassociation.org.
