Episode #17
"I Would Have Been a Camper Here": Michael Rosenberg on Laura, Legacy, and Color War
When Michael Rosenberg walks onto the Long Island campgrounds, he sees the seven year old version of himself. That's how old he was in 1979, when his sister Laura was diagnosed, and it's why he says he would have been a camper here, and probably a wild one. For more than 40 years, the foundation his family built in Laura's name has funded programs that give kids and their siblings something to look forward to, and in 2006 it became Sunrise Association's very first donor after a single meeting Michael still remembers like it was yesterday. In this conversation, he traces the line from his mother's handwritten mission statement to a $1 million gift for national expansion, and explains why he'd rather sponsor a Color War than write a check to the general fund. This summer, that instinct turned a beloved Long Island tradition into a nationwide celebration, with Color War boxes shipping to Sunrise camps across the country. Topics Covered: • How the Laura Rosenberg Foundation began after Laura's diagnosis in 1979, and the mission statement Michael's mother wrote by hand • The family roles that built the foundation: his mother as the cheerleader, his father as the architect • Black tie dinner dances in the middle of February that brought 300 to 400 people together • The foundation's earliest program grants, including a 1981 sleepaway camp, a clown care program, and SIBS Place on Long Island • The 2006 meeting that made the Laura Rosenberg Foundation Sunrise's first donor, and the entree it provided at Memorial Sloan Kettering • What it means for a sibling to walk into a camp built for siblings, and the flashbacks that come with it • The Sunrise projects carrying Laura's name: the Sunrise on Wheels trunk, the Laura Rosenberg STEAM Shack, and the Laura Rosenberg Hangar • Why the foundation shifted away from naming opportunities toward strategic, outcome-focused giving • A $1 million gift toward national expansion and what it helped make possible • Visiting Sunrise camps around the country and finding the same feeling in every one of them • Eleven years of Color War, from volunteer to co-planner alongside board member David Miller • Legendary breakout themes, including four Disney parks arriving on 18 wheelers and a decades theme with 20 classic cars • Bringing Color War to Sunrise camps nationwide this summer through Color War boxes, from Dr. Seuss hats on Long Island to construction hats in Greater Washington Links & Resources: The Laura Rosenberg Foundation → https://www.thelaurarosenbergfoundati... 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 nearly 77,000 children annually across 15 summer day camps, 85+ weekly in-hospital programs, and virtual platforms. Learn more at Sunrise Association - https://www.sunriseassociation.org/
