Valuable camp lessons gave kids burst of energy

The cost of living hasn’t made it easy to raise a family in 2025 — especially if you have six children under your roof like Annie Anguttitauruq and Matt Arnott do.

It can be hard enough making sure bills get paid on time, there are clothes to be worn, and there’s enough food on the table, never mind having the extra funds for extracurricular activities.

So, when Anguttitauruq got confirmation that the Sunshine Fund — which is in its 45th year of helping send Manitoba children to summer camp — could help her family, she was overjoyed.

With the help of donations, the couple’s four middle children, Nevaeh, 13, Michael, 11, Carly, 8, and Sebastian, 7, were all able to spend a week at Camp Manitou, located just outside the city in Headingley, earlier this month.

“The Sunshine Fund has helped me tremendously. My husband is a full-time student at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, he’s taking the millwright program, and my dad lives with us. We have six children living at home, so we’re a pretty busy household and lots of bills to take care of,” said Anguttitauruq, who works for the Inuit Association of Manitoba.

“Without the help of the Sunshine Fund, they wouldn’t have been able to attend that week of camp. They really, really, really had so much fun. They enjoyed themselves and learned so many valuable lessons. I think it taught them how to better navigate relationships with adults and other children.”

The cost would’ve been around $400 a week per child to head to camp, but with the funding they received, the family paid $500 total for four children.

“I know that I wouldn’t have been able to afford the full week for just one of my kids, so, having four of them approved, it let them have a week of experience and learning,” said Anguttitauruq, who is also a mother to a 20-year-old and one-year old.

“They got to get out of the house, because I know when they’re in the house together all day, they fight, they don’t get along. This gave them a burst of energy and they learned new things. It was good for them.”

Camp Manitou certainly kept them busy. Fishing, swimming and cooking were just a handful of the activities that they got to enjoy.

“I want to thank everyone at Camp Manitou that helped all the kids and put in the time, made everyone feel so special, and gave them some good lessons to learn. I think they’re going to take these lessons and remember them forever,” said Anguttitauruq.

“And I also want to thank the Sunshine Fund for considering my children and all other children out there. Without all of their help, a lot of families wouldn’t have the opportunity to attend camps like this.”

Last year, the Sunshine Fund helped 603 children go to 30 camps across Manitoba and Ontario. So far this year, 465 children have signed up, with more applications being processed, and 31 camps to choose from.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca