- April 26, 2024
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Flagler County resident Alicia Conway stood on the shoreline of Flagler Beach Saturday morning, Aug. 18. The sun had come out, and water was at her feet. She watched her 5-year-old son, Ian, in the ocean; with the help of a volunteer, he caught a wave and made his way to his feet. As he rode the wave into the beach, stretching out his arms for balance, tears began to well in Alicia’s eyes.
“I bawled when I saw him ride his first wave,” she said. “Since his fifth birthday, all he has wanted to do is surf. It was so amazing.”
Ian was one of 200 children and young adults with autism and related special abilities who were treated to a day of surfing at the Fun Coast Surfers for Autism event.
This event had been held in St. Augustine for the past two years, but organizers made the switch to Flagler Beach this year. It was the ninth beach festival of the 2012 season.
But the event isn’t just for locals. The beach festival draws families from all over Florida and beyond. One visiting surfer was Joe Steffy, who flew from Kansas City to Georgia and made the drive to Flagler Beach with his mother and sister. Steffy, who has autism and epilepsy, attended an event last year and loved it. This year, the family planned far in advance to make an appearance in Flagler Beach.
With a successful turnout, the goal is for the Fun Coast event to be held in Flagler Beach every year.
For organization information, visit www.surfersforautism.org.
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