More than 7,000 people enjoyed the 12th annual "Beach Bash" in Belmar sponsored by Autism Family Services of New Jersey
BELMAR -- The waves were rolling under sunny skies at Belmar on Sunday, and once seven-year-old Tristan Brown got on a surf board to glide over the breakers, he didn't want to leave the water.
Brown, a Brick Township youth who has autism, was among dozen of young people with the same developmental disorder who were given a chance to ride the waves as part of the 12th annual "Beach Bash" sponsored by Autism Family Services of New Jersey.
About 7,000 people came for the food concessions, musical performances, crafts classes and other events at the day long festival that highlighted families from this segment of this developmental population.
"The people here really find a community. Nobody's looking at anybody as different today," said Bret Vaks, executive director of Autism Family Services, an Trenton-based private non-profit agency.
As part of the annual Beach Bash, members of Surfers Healing sends volunteers who assists autistic children with surf board rides. The California agency travels across the country and to other counties to provide the service, all funded by donations.
Vaks estimated that 300 children would take the opportunity to surf.
That's more than the total number of people to attend the first "Beach Bash" held at Sandy Hook.
"There were a couple of hundred people then," Vaks said. The event has grown to bring this special needs group together.
"When we talk about the autistic family, this is it," he said stretching out his arms at the crowd on the beach yesterday.
He noted the statistics that autism now effects one in every 41 children in New Jersey, slightly higher than the national average of one in every 45. In 1989, he said, the rate was one in 10,000.
Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.