How sailing helped autistic boy

Last year, Bonnie Monroe searched tirelessly for a summer camp that would enroll her autistic son, Mark. She found Clearwater Community Sailing Center and Rich White, an instructor who taught Mark to sail. "Rich told me to bring Mark out," recalled Monroe. "After Mark went out with Rich in a Hobie, he said, 'I'm ready to sail, Mom, let's go.' Rich didn't know about working with children who had autism, but he was willing to learn." The encounter changed Mark's life forever and became the catalyst for Camp Awesome, a new summer camp at the Sailing Center that will be aimed at helping children with disabilities. This evening, the center at 1001 Gulf Blvd. on Sand Key will hold a silent auction and cocktail party to raise money for the camp. "We will start out this program in a small but phenomenal way and work up to the best way of moving forward," said Sue Steward, the Sailing Center's director. "I'm overwhelmed by the amazing local support and donations we've received." Mark Monroe, 12, has high functioning autism. By the end of last summer, not only had he learned to sail and paddleboard by himself, he had joined the Sailing Center's regular summer camp activities. "After meeting him and evaluating him to make sure I could teach him, I started with one-on-one instruction three half-days a week," said White, the sailing instructor. "Within two weeks we went to full days. Mark is amazing. Not only does he sail alone, but he has become much more social." Monroe was so pleased, she told White she wanted to stay connected with the Sailing Center and become a member. "That's when the idea about a program that reached out to the community began," said Monroe. She wants to help make the sailing program for children with special needs a success. She's working for it to become financially self-sustainable and able to offer help for families that might not otherwise be able to afford it.