Starting in 2025, Sun Escape launched its inaugural camp theme, designed to bring together our photosensitive campers, their families, and our volunteers through shared experiences related to our connection with the sun and light.
Each year, a new theme and tagline will be introduced, accompanied by activities, discussions, materials, and opportunities for camper personalization throughout the long weekend.
Our 2026 theme will be announced when our application window opens in October
Our theme for 2025 was “BE HEROIC,” which highlighted the special ways the photosensitive community has to adapt and ‘suit up’ when going outside to face the sun. We asked our campers and their families to complete a questionnaire about their experiences with their condition, their superhero inspirations, ideas for sidekicks, special abilities, and how they protect themselves from the sun. From our campers’ responses we have crafted for them a unique superhero persona and a comic book cover for each photosensitive camper. Every camper was given thoughtful consideration to ensure their design felt distinct and special, along with an individual “photosensitive” origin story based on their survey insights.
More than a Theme
The daily hurdles that a photosensitive child must overcome is truly heroic. That often starts with them having to wear their protective clothing. Some of our campers can only survive a few moments in the sun before a reaction comes on, so they must transform into fully immersive protective gear that can make them nearly unrecognizable…almost like they have a “secret identity.”
For the weekend, we lined the primary walkway with all 34 comic book covers and we also surprised each camper when they arrived with their superhero on custom t shirts that we as volunteers also had on. We laid out prints along their cabin common areas with their origin stories and we hung every origin story outside out cafeteria so families could read everyone’s throughout the weekend.
Our hosts Victory Junction also capped off the weekend by hosting a “super hero” academy activity Sunday morning that was a big hit.
Being a hero isn’t about saving the city or defeating some god like monster, it’s about not letting your disorder take away your joy to do the things you were destined to do.
There is power in our photosensitivity. We can either let it dictate our lives, or we can harness it and use it for something extraordinary.
We hope our 2025 Sun Escape campers know how inspiring they really are.
