Walking on (Camp) Sunshine: Trio from Wells walk 26.2 miles for a cause

Mackenzie Webb and her cousins, Katie Reidy and Sarah Webb, told me they walked quite a distance last Saturday, May 21: from the area of the Colony Hotel and St. Ann’s Episcopal Church on Ocean Avenue in Kennebunkport to Nubble Lighthouse on Sohier Park Road in York.

I tried to do a quick calculation of that distance in my head as Mackenzie, Katie and Sarah sipped their coffee and tea during my interview with them at Mornings in Paris in Kennebunk on Monday.

“How many miles is that?” I finally asked.

Mackenzie was quick and precise with her answer.

“26.2 miles,” she said.

Ah. I smiled. So she was being literal when she emailed me at the Coast Star last week and let me know that she and her two cousins, all from Wells, would be walking their “third marathon.” I had figured she had used the word “marathon” loosely, as people, such as myself, sometimes do. Long meetings I attend or slow movies that I watch often feel like marathons, for example.

But no: the three cousins charted a course along the local coast, sticking as close to the ocean as they could, right down to that last fifth of a mile. They often had a cool, spring breeze at their backs as they walked, but they had something much more inspiring to carry them forward, especially when they hit that 17-mile mark – the point at which they said they could really feel the aches and pains of their journey.

For the second year in a row, Mackenzie, Katie and Sarah completed this route to raise money for Camp Sunshine, the Casco-based getaway on Sebago Lake that offers “respite, recreation and support” to children with life-threatening illnesses. The camp, offered year-round, is free and has been fulfilling its mission of helping children and families since 1984, according to its website.

Last year, Mackenzie, Katie and Sarah raised $1,522 for their cause, surpassing their goal of $1,000. This year, they figured they’d swing for the fences and set a goal of $5,000 – and raised $5,196 from 93 donors, according to the website chronicling their efforts.

Mackenziesaid she discovered Camp Sunshine when she was affiliated with Rent-A-Princess, which is a part of the Maine Dance Center in Raymond, Maine. She and others once dressed as Disney princesses and visited the camp to brighten the day of the children there.

“I just really liked what they had going on,” Mackenzie said.

Sarah also knew about Camp Sunshine, as she has relatives who once went there.

In an email on Wednesday, Michael Katz, the executive director of Camp Sunshine, expressed gratitude to the fundraising trio.

“Camp Sunshine is very grateful for Mackenzie, Kate and Sarah for taking on this challenge once again,” Katz said. “Their support and effort over the past couple years continues to be very much appreciated and helps keep our mission moving forward.”

This may be the cousins’ second year of walking this marathon to raise funds for Camp Sunshine, but it’s actually their third year making the trek on foot from Kennebunkport to York. That first year, 2020, they walked all those miles just to push back against the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic and get out there and exercise and have fun in the Great Outdoors.

What does it take to make it through such a long trip on foot?

“You have to really like each other’s company,” Katie said, sparking laughter in the other two. “You have to know when to be quiet.”

Last weekend’s walk gave the cousins a chance to finally catch up after a year spent away at college. Mackenzie attends the University of New England, where she is majoring in exercise science and minoring in both business administration and nutrition. Katie goes to Springfield College, where she is majoring in health science and minoring in disability studies. Sarah attends Lasell University, where she is majoring in global studies with a minor in Spanish.

The three cousins posted photos of their trek on social media, and some who drove by them and knew what they were doing honked their horns in support. Their parents met them at points along the way and gave them snacks. They stopped for dinner at Forbes in their hometown.

They took their first step in the misty morning at about 7 a.m. They arrived at the lighthouse in York more than ten hours later, smiling and triumphant, aching and exhausted and with blisters on their feet. Worry not. They had a ride home.

As they walked on Saturday, Mackenzie, Sarah and Katie checked their cell phones to see how their fundraising was going. They crossed their $5,000 finish line just as they were about to cross their actual finish line in York - a final donation of $61 put them over the top. During their interview on Monday, all three expressed gratitude to those who donated, including a number of local businesses that sponsored them.

Sarah said she has enjoyed seeing the progress the marathon fundraiser has made in just two years.

“It was such a last-minute thing last year, and we were still able to get a good amount of donations,” she said. “It’s been really cool to watch it grow and the impact that it’s making.”

Katie agreed.

“It’s crazy that this was our little idea, and now it’s very dear to our hearts,” she said. “It’s good to see that three people can make a difference. If three more people can see this and say, ‘Oh, I can make a tiny difference too,’ that is how change is made.”

Shawn P. Sullivan is an award-winning columnist and a reporter for the York County Coast Star. He can be reached at ssullivan@seacoastonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Walking on (Camp) Sunshine: Trio from Wells raise big bucks on foot