Eric often writes for an online magazine called Parenting Special Needs.  His submission in the current issue includes the SandBells as “Fitness Equipment Worth Buying.”  Take a look and get in touch with Eric if you have any questions about the logistics and / or benefits of exercise for children with Autism.

So here is a story from the public arena…..

We were spending some time with some of our best long time friends over the holiday weekend and I was talking to my buddy about the company we invested in as he was curious. His son (my godson and a 13 year old 7th grader) was listening in. When I started to explain what a SandBell was, I noticed his son perked up and paid more attention. As I worked through the description and started to talk about some of the advantages over dumbbells I included some examples of exercises that were unique to the SandBell….when I mentioned the SandBell Slam, he jumped into the conversation with a ton of excitement and said, “I thought you were talking about SandBells…we used them at the football training camp this year and we did the Slam….It was awesome, everybody loved the SandBells!”

I thought that was cool!

We think it’s cool, too!  What’s a SandBell Slam you ask?  An excellent way to take out your aggression!  Just take a look at our buddy, Eric Chessen of Autism Fitness as he finishes up a workout a few of these bad boys:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muh-lzMPpmE[/youtube]

Auitsm Fitness Charity Sandbell Walk from Eric Chessen on Vimeo.

Cosmo’s cousin, Dawn Cruzan-Fournier, was the coordinator for the event.  Her brother, Craig Allen Cruzan, had a form of muscular dystrophy called Duchenne.  He loved attending camp in the summer time, but longed for a camp where his access to fun was not limited by his wheelchair.  He wanted a place that was entirely wheelchair-friendly with facilities that were adapted to his physical limitations.

He and his sister, Dawn, planned to build such a camp someday.  Craig did not live to see his dream fulfilled, but Dawn has commited to making it a reality.  The facility will have an adaptive sport court, teaching kitchen, wheelchair body shop, and much, much more.  To read more about the plans and the full story, visit www.campcraigcallen.org.  You can also make a donation on the website.

The fundraiser event was full of fun and food!  A barbecue cook-off and classic car show were the main attractions.  The cook-off had 47 participants – an increase from 17 last year, the event’s inaugural year.  Brisket, chicken, ribs, and beans were judged by a panel of celebrity judges and individuals were asked to vote for the People’s Choice award.

Each cooking team also had “Beggin’ Jars” at their booths to collect money from the passers-by – all of which was donated to Camp Craig Allen.  Supporters also donated items for both a silent and a live auction where everything from hand-made quilts to car wash supply-buckets to restaurant gift cards to a classic car engine-turned-grill.

Smoke and music filled the air Friday night as participants prepared themselves for a night of barbecuing.  We spent the night in a hotel, but many stayed on-site to keep an eye on their grills.

Hyper Wear had a vendor booth set up on Saturday where we got to introduce people to the Hyper Vest.

We had a lot of interest and were so grateful to Dawn for asking us to participate in such a wonderful event.  We were pleased to have folks of every shape and size and all walks of life stop by to learn more about the Hyper Vest.  We even convinced Dawn’s niece to try one of the XXS vests on.

These tiny vests are specifically designed for children with autism who respond to weight and compression.  More on that concept in a later entry…

It was a great weekend and we absolutly loved being a part of the fun and the excitement.  We’re proud of you, Dawn, and can’t wait to see your dream fully realized!