Sail away in support of autism awareness!
On July 27, you can bring your boat or personal watercraft and travel upstream on the Ottawa River from the mouth of Rivière Rouge to Ottawa and back and show support for children with autism and their families.
Paul Taylor Sr. and his wife Nicole of Hawkesbury, whose son Paul Jr. has autism, are both involved with the Ottawa chapter of Autism Ontario. Nicole also serves as its Vice President. Paul Sr. said he got the idea after discovering their son enjoyed riding on personal watercraft and got the idea to stage a boat ride to raise awareness. A few boats turned into 85 people now being interested in taking part in the flotilla.
The Flotilla for Autism has already lined up sponsors for the event. They include Maximum Powersports, Golden Anchor Marina, Déjà Vu Restaurant and Bar, and Laplante GM.
The rallying point for the flotilla is the area near the mouth of Rivière Rouge at 10 a.m. on July 27. From there, the vessels will travel to an island area in Ottawa and leave there at 1 p.m. to return to Hawkesbury. An Ontario Provincial Police marine unit will be escorting the flotilla for at least part of the way.
For more information on the Flotilla for Autism, go to its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/2389510617728341/ or call Paul Taylor Sr. at 613-676-6440.
