Yes. My Kids are Amazing, and They Surf Too!!!!

Tomorrow is May 1 and my calendar reads: SIGN UP FOR SURF CAMP 12:01AM!!!

I just checked the website and that has now been moved to May 15 but this is still a great time for me to tell you about an amazing organization and an amazing opportunity for families dealing with Autism.

SURFERS HEALING  
www.surfershealing.org

Seriously, go to this website and learn all about this organization. Last year was our first day camp and it was probably one of the top 5 experiences in my life. We got there an hour before our surf time, set up on the beach with chairs and cameras. We looked out into the Atlantic just in time to see a line of 5 Autistic kids up on surf boards with professional surfers holding them up and they were headed to shore! Everyone was clapping and cheering as they came in and each and every child was smiling. When it was our turn the volunteers and surfers just scooped up the boys, put life jackets on them and put took them out. Adam loved laying on the board and bobbing up and down with the swells. Cameron loved getting up on the board and coming to shore. It was such an amazing thing to witness, I was overwhelmed, I was speechless, I cried.

We'll be registering again this year and I will be hoping that we get a spot in this years camp in either Virginia Beach Aug 20 or Ocean City Aug 18. Maybe we'll see you there!

Here are some details and then I'll give you some pics!

• The camp is FREE.
• Your surfer will get a tee shirt and goody bag.
• There is drinks and food all day long.
• The area is sectioned off from the rest of the beach.
• Everyone is so friendly and completely understood that I was super freaked!
• They "get it", they know that the kids can be worried, they don't mind taking a screaming or crying kid out on the board so they can experience it. Every single one (without exception) comes back smiling and clapping.
• You will get a surf time but you can hang out all day long if you want. We didn't last year but we absolutely will this year. I don't want to miss a second of all that positive energy and fun.
• The professional surfers are all professionals, from what I understand pretty well known too! I don't know much about surfing but I was impressed by their credentials. They bring in surfers from all the big professional surfing areas and they travel from camp to camp. Your kid will not be going out into the ocean with some intermediate teenager.
• You will meet the most incredible kids and the most wonderful parents who know exactly what it is like to have kids with ASD. 
• I almost forgot the part that made this Mom SMILE, they also contract professional photographers with super long range sport camera lenses. The pictures they take are just breathtaking and a couple of months after camp you will receive a CD or file upload of your kids' surfing pictures! Next year I'm not even going to bother bringing my camera, the pictures I took are no where near as good as the ones I received from Surfers Healing.
• Sign up for most of the East Coast camps starts May 15, keep checking the website for any changes!