The subject of a previous post was the organisation, Surfers Healing . The Southern California-based nonprofit also provides surf camps for children on the Autism Spectrum on the other side of the United States in Rhode Island…
Surfer’s Healing, the international surf camp for children with autism returned for the 4th annual surf camp at Narragansett Town Beach on Saturday, September 15.
This was the 4th year that Surfers Healing provided surf camp in Rhode Island. The first year there were 60 children with autism and their families. This year there was about 160 children with autism and their families. Volunteer surfers take children out on surf boards with the smiles as payment.
The surf camps are free for children with autism and their families. This includes food and drink which is donated and purchased from fund raising. Sign-ups occur online in May and usually fill up within hours.
Doreen Bullock, Richard DeSimone and Maria DeSimone are credited with bringing Surfers Healing to Rhode Island.
…In 2008 Maria and Richard attending a Surfers Healing surf camp in New Jersey with Doreen and her child. Right after that camp is when Doreen connected with the sponsoring charity Acts of Kindness. Fundraising and organizing to make the event possible goes on all year. The smiles that were seen this year make it clear that the hard work is worth it.
…The surf camps allow children with autism and their families to have fun and just be themselves. No one notices any behaviors or melt downs because they all live it. The smiles on the children’s faces as they surf, some for the first time, says it all.
Here is a link to a video on the Surfers Healing event last year held in Narragansett Beach, Rhode Island: RI Surfers Healing pair up with children at Narragansett beach - YouTube
(source: International surf camp for children with autism returns to Rhode Island - Providence special education | Examiner.com )