TOLEDO, Ohio — Thursday marked the last day of sailing camp in Toledo for Spectrum Sailing.
The national non-profit organization teaches kids on the autism spectrum about boat parts, water safety rules, wind direction and much more.
It also instills confidence in children to eventually take control of the sailboat themselves.
Renee Palacios is one of the parents who enrolled her child in the program. She said it's a very beneficial camp.
"We talk a lot about what our kids can't do as parents of a child with autism. You're inundated with the challenges, the supports they need to be successful," Palacios said. "Here, he's successful."
As the only national sailing camp for kids with autism, the organization travels to states holding three-day camps for free.
The camp's founder, Scott Herman, said he started it after wanting to get his son, who is on the spectrum, into sailing.
"When I lived in Charleston, I tried to get him into a camp, and we didn't have a camp there that could service kids like my son," Herman said. "And so after the first year, we decided that we should try to start our own camp."
In Toledo, the camp partnered with the North Cape Yacht Club, which hosted the event and provided boats, volunteers and food to help make it possible.
Other local organizations have also contributed and donated to the camp.
MORE LOCAL HEADLINES FROM WTOL 11 NEWS:
Want more from WTOL 11 News?
➡️ Download the WTOL 11 news app for Apple here or get it in the Google store here.
➡️ Get a fresh start to your morning and wrap up your day with the latest news and your WTOL 11 Weather forecast delivered right to your inbox!
WTOL 11's Your Morning Blast and Your Evening Blast deliver stories from northwest Ohio, southeast Michigan and beyond to keep you informed. Click here to get on the list!
➡️ Looking for the lowest current local gas prices? Check out the WTOL 11 gas price tracker, powered by Gas Buddy, here.
➡️ Stay up to date on what's happening in your community with a 24/7 live stream and on-demand content from WTOL 11+. Our free WTOL 11+ apps are available on Roku and Fire TV.
WTOL 11+ features the latest breaking news and weather, plus daily talk shows, coverage of your favorite sports teams from Locked On, fact-checking from VERIFY and the latest trending stories from Daily Blast Live.