Finally! Maine

Maine has now come and gone. The boys finished with a police escort on a cool August morning, rollerblading up the East Coast shoreline. With big smiles on their faces, all four skaters glided across the painted black and white checked line amidst cheering children and supportive family, friends, and fans. Their victory lap was photographed, videotaped, and celebrated by a contingent of Mainers!

After entertaining the local media and cutting the four finish-line cakes (kindly made for the four boys!) Cindy Ziobrowski introduced the skaters and spoke about Rolling For Autism. Cindy graciously hosted us at the Kittery Trading Post and put together the entire finish line event, for which we are all very thankful. From her Camp CARD-NE many of her campers and counselors joined the fun! She recognized the boys' achievements and asked them questions about their long journey from Florida to Maine. The kids in the audience were attuned to their voices and appeared to take in every detail of their shared memories. Not only were the children attentive, but parents, visitors, and all of the supporters shared a feeling of joy in seeing these four, new college graduates raise so much money for a cause close to their hearts. Not only did this team of skaters and others create scholarships for people with autism, but the team also spread a message about what it means to set a goal and meet it. Dan, Sean, Carson, and Jason exemplified giving of themselves to others.

Kittery, Maine was the perfect place to celebrate this accomplishment! After the boys rolled across the finish line they spoke with many children and adults about their efforts. Along with introducing themselves to many of their supporters, Dan found himself trying out the pony rides. Though Carson had no problem riding his pony, Dan ended up on the ground! Other spectacles included face painting and balloon animals. Also, the silent auction and raffle interested many locals. NASCAR items were raffled off, lobster baskets, stuffed animals, red sox items, polo shirts, and Peppridge Farm treats! The big ticket items were NASCAR car pieces, actually from two cars that have raced this past year. These car pieces are still up for raffle through Cindy!

We had all of these activities going on as well as a book signing by Karen Crystal, called "Navigating through Autism." She signed books and generously told her story about her son Gabe and what she wished she had known at the time of diagnosis. She shares the A,B,Cs of her son's experience and her own as a parent. The book also features Comic Sans script, which is one of only two scripts that are made to be easy on the eye, and as she said, "children with autism can read." We were also blessed to have Deb Lipsky join us to speak about her experience with autism and being diagnosed only after the age of forty. She spoke for two hours about autism and her world, which interested many of our guests.

Thank you to everyone that made the Maine finish line a success. The boys have since caught up on their sleep and two have started to work in the "real world"! The girls who were daring enough to join the team in the Mid-Atlantic are settling in and fully recovered from their bruises and blisters as well. On Rolling For Autism's behalf, we thank Maine for hosting us at the end of this fascinating trip!

Thank you all.

Lauren F. from Massachusetts