When the throws a 10th birthday party in Surrey next month, the event invitation will be a rare one for many of the special guests who attend.

Some kids with autism just don91裸聊视频檛 get invited to a lot of birthday parties, and Surrey resident Irene Brown knows the feeling.

91裸聊视频淢y son (Josiah) has been invited to only two birthday parties 91裸聊视频� one for another autistic child and one for a kid in his class,91裸聊视频� Brown said. 91裸聊视频淏irthday parties are very rare for him to attend.91裸聊视频�

So, it was a special moment this week when Josiah read aloud the personal invitation he received for CAN91裸聊视频檚 big bash, planned for Saturday, July 7 at Surrey Civic Plaza.

91裸聊视频淚t was exciting when he got it in the mail,91裸聊视频� Brown recalled with a smile. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a big party, too. It91裸聊视频檚 a great idea.91裸聊视频�

Games, live entertainment, inflatables, a dunk tank, vendors and more will be part of this particular party, a first-ever event organized to celebrate CAN91裸聊视频檚 10th anniversary of providing sports and recreation programs to people and families living with autism.

The organization, founded in 2008 by Vancouver Canucks co-owners Paolo and Clara Aquilini, also aims to increase autism awareness and provide related training in communities across B.C.

Admission is free at the , which is open to the public from noon to 6 p.m. on July 7.

Special 91裸聊视频渟ensory-friendly hours91裸聊视频� will take place that morning, from 10 a.m. to noon, for those who may have difficulty dealing with large crowds and loud noise. During that time, noise-cancelling headphones will be available for rental.

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The inspiration for the birthday event came from 91裸聊视频渢he countless stories of children with autism who are excluded from birthday parties,91裸聊视频� according to an advisory from CAN.

In the weeks leading up to the party, the organization mailed out some 1,700 personal invitations to kids and youth with autism, 91裸聊视频渕arking the first-ever birthday invite for many of the recipients.91裸聊视频�

Bobs and Lolo will entertain during the event, as will the band Famous Players.

91裸聊视频淲e look forward to welcoming hundreds of children, youth, young adults and families with autism, as well as hundreds more from the general public,91裸聊视频� stated Katy Harandi, president and CEO of Canucks Autism Network.

She called the festival 91裸聊视频渁n unprecedented celebration of the incredible successes that our thousands of members have accomplished throughout CAN91裸聊视频橲 10-year history.91裸聊视频�

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Surrey is home to close to 15 per cent of CAN91裸聊视频檚 province-wide membership, which hovers around 4,000 families, the organization says. Not surprisingly, Surrey has the largest number of children and youth with autism of any city in B.C., according to Ministry of Child and Family Development stats cited by CAN.

Residents of the Green Timbers area of Surrey, the Brown family has taken advantage of many CAN programs for Josiah and his two older sisters, including bicycle riding lessons, soccer, baseball and swimming, along with movie screenings and visits to the holiday light display at VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver.

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The programs are becoming more popular, said Brown, who welcomes more of them coming to Surrey.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 been great for us,91裸聊视频� she explained. 91裸聊视频淲e tried doing the regular rec programs, but it just wasn91裸聊视频檛 the right fit.91裸聊视频�

At Newton Recreation Centre a couple of years ago, Josiah entered into a soccer program where some of the ball-handling skills were a bit challenging for him.

91裸聊视频淪o they got those kids to participate in other ways, such as collecting cones and setting up the games,91裸聊视频� Brown recalled. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 neat how they got everyone involved in some way.91裸聊视频�

A fan of numbers, Josiah noted the CAN birthday party will be held in the year he, too, turns 10.

The boy has a bright mind for science- and geography-related topics, and has a passion for the Titanic, BC Ferries boats and tape measures.

91裸聊视频淵ou can show him a silhouette of a BC ferry, and he can tell you the name of it 91裸聊视频� the Queen of whatever,91裸聊视频� his mother said.

Get him going about Pangaea, earth91裸聊视频檚 old super-continent, and Josiah just can91裸聊视频檛 stop talking.

91裸聊视频淢y son talks about Titanic like yours talks about cars, you know,91裸聊视频� Brown said. 91裸聊视频淜ids with autism are the same as the rest of the kids, and do things just like other kids, and this (party in Surrey) is a celebration of that, I think, and the whole city is invited.91裸聊视频�

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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