Autism Awareness: A Family Fun Day

When Giancarlo started looking for an Eagle Scout project, he wanted to find a project that would help people in his community and most of all, an eagle project that meant something to him. Giancarlo Rindone, an Eagle Scout candidate from Boy Scout Troop 99 in Brooklyn, wanted to bring cheers for one special day, a sense of normalcy to the lives of families who are living with autism. For his Eagle Scout Project, Giancarlo decided to create a special day for those living with autism: A Family Fun Day – Autism Awareness. His goal was to offer awareness, education and hope to the autism community as a whole. The main idea of his eagle project was to make families affected with autism feel comfortable and enjoy a relaxed family outing in a free and open environment. Most of all, Giancarlo was hoping that his project would increase Autism Awareness.

Right now, 1 out of 150 children are being diagnosed with autism. Many consider Autism an epidemic.

For Giancarlo, being an Eagle Scout "means being a leader, both inside and outside of scouting. It means to rise up to meet a challenge, and by example, inspire others to do the same". According to his father, "for one person to do a project of this magnitude is very unusual, and I think it’s awesome that he wants to help the autistic community and I am very proud of him". This eagle project is very special and personal to Giancarlo and to so many people in our community.

Thanks to the generosity of so many friends and relatives, Giancarlo received several donations to help him finance the carnival. The Carnival took place on Saturday, May 31 at the auditorium of St. Athanasius in Brooklyn. Carnival rides like the King Kong, The spinning strawberry and the Castle Bouncer are just a few of the rides were booked for the carnival. In addition, the guests enjoyed good old fashion refreshments such as popcorn, cotton candy and snow cones. The Carnival also provided an opportunity for each guest to get a computerized Kid ID DVD.

Autism within a family brings many challenges. However, Giancarlo learned early on in his life to carry life’s difficult demands with grace and humor. "Living with a brother with autism has had a tremendous impact on me and especially my family". While autism sometimes affects our ability to do things typical families do so freely, He wants everyone to keep in mind that it is not what you do, what’s important is the amount of quality time you spend with your family. It’s a life experience very few individuals experience. Through his eagle project, he wants to make a positive difference in someone’s life and affect positive change.

Senator Golden stated, "I was glad to attend this event and support the Eagle Scout Project of Giancarlo Rindone. What a remarkable event coordinated by an outstanding young man. I am sure he is proud that he was able to make that difference he dreamed of for those who attended."