The Cause...

This photo is from one of their camps for the visually impaired...how beautiful is this???

I figure now that I am a week into my mission (and I haven't killed anyone from a 'snack jones' during my junk food detox period...),   that it might be a good time to give a better intro to the group that I am raising money for, Ocean Cure.

From their webpage:

Ocean Cure is a local 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to giving free surf lessons to medically fragile and at risk youth and adults. We at Ocean Cure believe very strongly in the powerful emotional and physical healing properties of the ocean and surfing. During our charity surf camps for fragile and at-risk youth and adults our highly qualified instructors guide participants through their fear and apprehension around an activity that they otherwise thought impossible. Through surfing they are empowered to feel that their is no obstacle that they can not overcome. The waves extend beyond the personal experience and extend to the family members to build a positive relationship and common bond with families who are sharing the same experiences.

I can't explain this great organization much better than this, but I'll give it the Tom Lewis 'personal expounding treatment':

What these wonderful men and women do is not just taking these people on a 'lap around the stable' pony ride.(Not knocking anyone who gives free horsey rides to people with special needs here...it's just...well, let me continue...) Anyone going to an Ocean Cure camp, aside from getting a great day at the beach surfing with well trained, compassionate instructors are receiving far more than that. They BECOME surfers for that day (and for some, beyond that day...). The atmosphere, the camaraderie, the work involved with paddling out, the carefree conversation that takes place while waiting for the right wave...it's all part of the package, it all goes with the deal. It is sincere as it is exciting and it is not lost on anyone who participates or observes. These camps cater to numerous different groups with special needs. Children with autism, visual impairment, at risk youth from our local Boys and Girls club all have camps geared toward their specific needs. Camps are also run for veterans through Wounded Warriors and for Little Pink Houses of Hope (a group that provides weekend retreats in the Carolina's for breast cancer survivors). Ocean Cure's founder Kevin Murphy is also the Wrightsville Beach coordinator's for the Life Roll's On (a group that supports individuals with spinal cord injuries through action sports) camp.

As someone who has seen so much gain through this form of therapy with my son, I cannot be more of an advocate for this group. For years we never knew our son Tommy's identity. While Tommy was somewhat verbal and on the higher functioning side of the spectrum, his social components were where some of our greater concerns were. Tommy was/is what is referred to in the autism world as a 'scripter'. Sure it can be funny at times when he recites his lines from his favorite shows. He has become very good at pulling the right response of his endless file of one-liners gathered from his favorite shows. But we wanted our son to become "Tommy Lewis", not uuhhh, "Spongebob Lewis"! Surfing has become his identity now. Sure, Spongebob comes to the surface now and then, but he is no longer the one in total control. I guess you can call it an 'oceanic excorsism' or a 'nautical awakening', but my son's personality is no longer a resemblance of a casting call for Roger Rabbit redux, defined by the last thing he watched on Nickelodeon. Thanks to his friends at Ocean Cure, he is Tommy Lewis, surfer.

So that is MY take on these fine folks. They are the ones who create openings for doors that others might not see as having any passage for certain individuals....

...and I owe them.

Please donate @: http://www.crowdrise.com/tomlewis