Sunshine Stewart, who was murdered while paddleboarding alone last month, would have turned 49 on August 8, 2025. In honor of her birthday, family and friends organized a “Paddle for Sunny” on Crawford Pond in Union.

It’s a perfect evening for a paddle — bright blue skies and a hint of a breeze — and a fleet of paddleboards, canoes and kayaks festooned with yellow flowers, balloons, and homemade signs are crowding the beach at Mic Mac Campground on the shores of Crawford Pond.

"This is where Sunny took her last swim and her last paddle," Kathleen Gilbert said. "She paddled out to the island, where we know we lost her."

Gilbert is one of about 100 or so people who showed up to paddle together to celebrate Sunny Stewart's birthday, and to show solidarity.

Stewart’s body was found on July

See Full Page