The Moonlight Charity Challenge held Friday, Feb. 2 at Shawnee Peak raised more than $35,000 for Camp Sunshine in Casco. The event raised $50,000 overall with the remaining proceeds benefiting the Shawnee Peak Adaptive Skiing Program.

About 120 participants took part in the event this year, which included racing down a modified giant slalom race course, dinner and raffles.

Since it began in 1994, Shawnee Peak’s Moonlight Charity Challenge has raised more than $400,000 for national, regional and local charities. Sponsors included Downeast Energy and Holloway Automotive.

The event has raised nearly $150,000 for Camp Sunshine since 2002 when the camp was named as a beneficiary.

“This is a great event and it has helped us tremendously over the years,” said Matthew Hoidal, executive director of Camp Sunshine. “The money raised for Camp Sunshine over the years has helped us expand our program into the winter. And the match between Shawnee Peak and Camp Sunshine is so perfect, and timely, since it has allowed us to build skiing into our winter program.”

Children and their families participating in Camp Sunshine’s winter program now spend a day skiing at Shawnee Peak, he said.

“The mountain is perfect for our families,” Hoidal added. “And Shawnee Peak’s adaptive ski program also is ideal for our campers who are either blind, deaf or are amputees.”

Chet and Shirley Homer, the owners of Shawnee Peak, expressed their appreciation for the program at the event.

“To be able to offer these kids and their families a winter program is wonderful,” said Chet Homer. “We’re proud to be a part of the good work at Camp Sunshine and happy to help.”

Camp Sunshine, located in Maine’s Sebago Lake region, provides a camp vacation at no charge to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Founded in 1984, Camp Sunshine was the first and remains one of the only camps in the nation whose sole focus is on serving the entire family, and not just the sick child. The program is free of charge to all families, and includes 24-hour onsite medical and psychosocial support. Bereavement groups also are offered for families who have lost a child to an illness.