A Family Adventure

This is the Joseph family who recently moved here to Utah from Las Vegas. Aaron is their eleven-year old son who has autism. This winter they decided to give SPLORE a try, to get out of the house and to do something new and adventurous. Aaron’s Father, Cole shares what they’ve done so far…

Indoor Rock-climbing

The program was seven weeks of rock-climbing, with the trained SPLORE staff, teaching four autistic children the sport. Each child had someone assigned to them, to set up their equipment, spot for them, and encourage them. To say this was a success is a huge understatement. Our son Aaron absolutely loved it. Trepid at first, every climb built growing confidence and experience.

If you live in Utah, and want to get into this sport, I highly recommend Momentum. They have spectacular facilities. They even have a great web site. They have some climbs that are stories high, with a large variety of difficulty and terrain. This allowed the SPLORE folks to tailor different climbs to match the climbing level of each child.

So everyone was challenged, and everyone experienced a pinnacle. Aaron was able to make the highest climbs. Multiple times, and rang the bell at the top.

Cross-country Skiing

Since our first experience was so great, doing a simple, one day event at Solitude sounded like fun. The weather was great, the snow was fresh, and the atmosphere was easy and gentle. This time, we had a mix of people with disabilities, and different ages. My wife, Debbie, and I had a great time. It was easier that we had originally thought.

Having a prepared area that is dedicated to cross-country skiing definitely helps.

Aaron was okay for the first hour, but I don't think he was thrilled with the bindings on his skis. When he'd had enough, he just started off into the snow banks, with Susie chasing behind. This is just one example of the selfless and cheerful care that we've seen with the SPLORE staff and volunteers. In no time, Aaron was laughing again.

It's not the skiing. The point is the experience with family and new friends, and that's what was what we enjoyed about the day.

Snowshoeing at the Spruces

Again, we did a first for us as a family. In the summer, the Spruces at Big Cottonwood Canyon Campgrounds is a camper-land. But during the winter, it's under a few feet of snow. We had a new set of people and volunteers. We even had people with special sleds, who could not walk.
Yet here we were, all out in the winter forest, beautiful scenery, and a warm dose of human compassion.

There was a moment when one of the girls had fallen over on her sled.
We were all there, helping out as a team, even having a good laugh. We had such a good time. We actually end up buying some snowshoes for the three of us, and broke them in this last weekend. Without our SPLORE experience, I doubt that would have ever happened.

In summary...

Our experiences with SPLORE have been absolutely wonderful. The thing we like about SPLORE is the chance to do something new in a safe environment. Being around people who are trained, who are specifically spending their time so that others can live a fuller life is a good feeling. I have a lot of respect for the SPLORE crew, and the other participants. Their hearts are in the right place.

Joining a SPLORE event brings out the very best in the human spirit.

And the biggest payoff of all -- the smiles!

-- Cole

Breaking the "can't" Barrier

Briana McCarty, one of our many awesome volunteers was an active volunteer for SPLORE during the early summer of 2007. She shares her SPLORE experience...



The world we live in today expects less of people with disabilities. People with varying abilities constantly face the word “can’t” or encounter people who have lower expectations of them because of their disability. Luckily there are organizations, like SPLORE, that challenge this handicapped thinking. These organizations are dedicated to expanding cultural expectations of what people with disabilities can accomplish and transforming old stereotypes into perspectives of unlimited possibilities.

Here is an example of what I mean: An eight year-old girl who is blind went on an overnight whitewater rafting trip down the Colorado River with her parents and younger sister. She was fearless in paddling Class I and II rapids, following the rhythmic chanting of her fellow crew members and the directions of her river guide. As the waves grew, so did her smile! She was having a great time. When her Mom shared her favorite moment of the trip, it was the transformational experience SPLORE facilitates through all its programs. “I never imagined that my daughter could be an active participant today,” she said. In two days, this family realized that they all had the same possibilities as any other family.

When confronted with the word “can’t,” I can only hope that all those who have been involved with SPLORE will look back on their experiences and know that they “can.”