JUPITER, Fla. — Els for Autism's summer camp gave kids with autism a chance to meet and interact with players from the Washington Nationals baseball team in Jupiter.
Dr. Erin Brooker Lozott, Els for Autism's program director, said the visit gave campers an experience on par with what anyone might enjoy.
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"The Nationals baseball team gets to engage and interact with our campers, and it really brings the community into our campus and allows campers with autism to have the same experience as somebody without autism can have on a daily basis," Brooker Lozott said.
Els for Autism is a global non-profit organization in Jupiter, providing foundational programs for individuals with autism and their families.
Among the campers was 12-year-old Alex Brown, who spent the day with his new MLB friends.
"It's fun pretty much every day here because this is a place where nobody is mean to me," Brown said.
Brown admits interacting with other kids can be a challenge, but his peers and teachers at Els for Autism make him feel like he belongs. For Brown, the day stood out for more than one reason.
"I got to be on TV, and I got to meet people that are famous," Brown said.
The camp gave kids the chance to shoot hoops with the Nationals, learn how to hit, run through a bouncy house, and play board games. Nationals player Ty Bothwell said it was an experience he couldn't miss, drawing on personal connections to the cause.
"I've helped out in high school with special needs classes, and I had a couple family members that have Asperger's and my uncle has been through two brain surgeries," Bothwell said.
For the players, the visit was also a welcome change of pace from life on the field.
"Sometimes things are going well or bad on the field; it's always nice to just step away, and helping out with kids is the perfect way to spend time," Bothwell said.
