ASkate: On a wheel and a prayer

I have been blessed with a number of very strong women in my life. My mom, my grandmother, my aunt Richadene, and my older sister, Caryn. Each of these women have imparted their wisdom and their strength upon me and their gifts have helped mold the woman and mother that I am today.

But I have also met many inspirational woman through my work in social media and as a member of the autism acceptance community.

One of these women is my friend, Crys Worley.

Crys is a mom of two sons, Sasha and Fallon. She spends her days working in the dental field and running her non-profit organization, A.Skate, which she founded in honor of her son, Sasha, who has autism.

Sasha's two favorite things in the entire world are car washes and skateboarding. Car washes are a bit of an obsession with Sasha and as a parent of two boys with autism I know all too well how difficult that can be to manage on a day to day basis. After all, a car can't get very dirty when you're washing it two or three times a day.

But skateboarding is Sasha's passion. It is what he does to center himself, to clear his mind. It's also the way he allows others, like his mom, to join his inner world.

Skateboarding, it seems, is so much more than just an activity or a form of exercise.  For Crys it is a way of receiving love and affection from her son.  Something that is not easily come by when your child has autism. 

The following is a video from Vans that is both moving and encouraging. I'd be willing to bet that after watching it you'll understand why Crys is such an inspiration to me and so many others.

She's pretty damn amazing, huh?

In fact, she'd be at the top of my list of amazing and inspiring women even if the only children she made a difference for were her own.

But she is so much more full of awesome than that.

Crys' A.Skate Foundation brings the excitement of a skateboarding clinic to thousands of children with autism across the United States; and most recently, they held their first international clinic in Ireland!  The best part of all is that the clinic, equipment, and necessary materials are 100% free to the children who attend.  In fact, to date every single one of A.Skate's clinics has been filled to capacity.   Nothing hurts them more than having to turn a child away because they have run out of time, equipment, or volunteers.

But very soon they may not have to worry about that happening ever again.





A.Skate is currently listed in the #9 position to receive a $50,000.00 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project.  If they can maintain their top 10 status for the next 10 days straight they are guaranteed that money.  And that money would mean more clinics, more equipment, and more smiles, laughs, and high fives from the children they strive to help.

And this is where all of you, my readers, family, and friends come in.

• Each and every one of us can vote twice per day for The A.Skate Foundation.  The first way is by texting the number 108814 to the number 73774 (PEPSI) once per day.  
• You can also vote via Facebook by visiting the Pepsi Refresh Project's website here and signing in with your Facebook account.  
• You can enter "Power Votes" anytime day or night by collecting Pepsi bottlecaps and 12 or 24 pack boxes with the codes printed on the inside.  To enter you simply visit here to enter them one by one.

Or, to make things even easier on you...

• Send me an email to sunday@extremeparenthood.com with the power codes listed and I will enter them into the Pepsi website for you.  
• Call me at 443-379-2352 and I will come pick up the codes, bottlecaps, etc. directly from you if you live in the Baltimore metro area.

I am THAT passionate about the A.Skate Foundation, people!

I want A.Skate to win the grant they need to make more clinics possible.  Maybe even a skateboarding clinic in Baltimore or Washington, D.C.?  I want to see The Trouble Brothers on a skateboard in the very near future but I need your help to make it happen!

It would mean so much to me if you would share this post with your friends, your family, and on your various social media sites, such as: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Digg, etc.  

If I know anything at all I do know this.  Whether A.Skate wins the $50,000.00 grant from Pepsi or not Crys is going to keep holding these clinics.  She may not be able to expand them as far and as wide as she would like to but she will not let something like money stop her from reaching out and helping other children like her son.

Like my sons.

Maybe even a child like yours.