Special-needs children get their Day
in the Sky Posted:
Monday, Apr 23rd, 2007 BY: JON CHOWN
Nahara
Garcias climbs out of an airplane after taking a 30-minute
flight over the Central Coast with her mother Sandra (seen in window)
and sister Mirial. The plane was piloted by Larry Wolfsen.
Five-year-old Patricia Kaster
was at a loss for words after her 30-minute flight Saturday at the
Watsonville Airport.
She saw the Central Coast as she had never seen it before and even got
to spend some time steering the plane, guiding it through the air from
the co-pilot seat. But the shy youngster was too flustered to put the
experience into words.
“She had her hand on the wheel the whole flight,” said father, John
Caster of Santa Cruz. “She is going to remember this forever.”
Patricia was one of about 250 children with disabilities or special
needs that, along with members of their families, got a chance to fly
during Day in the Sky, an event hosted by the Watsonville Airport, the
local chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association and Shared
Adventures, a group that plans activities for children that are
disabled or have special needs.
Sydney Kaster said activities like this are so important for her
daughter because she would not be looked at differently by other
children, and parents could meet other parents dealing with similar
situations. “It’s a really wonderful event,” she said.
“Normally she’s a little shy about doing thing with new people,” said
John Caster about his daughter. “But she climbed right up the wing.
This was great for her.”
The event, the third annual, was the brainchild of Dean McCully, a San
Jose resident who took his autistic nephew flying once and was amazed
how therapeutic the experience was for the boy. McCully then contacted
Shared Adventures, run by Foster Anderson of Santa Cruz, and the idea
blossomed into Day in the Sky.
Anderson, who was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident when he was 17,
started Shared Adventures in 1994 to offer recreational programs to
other people with special needs. He said the third edition of Day in
the Sky was the best yet.
“The airport has been excellent. They put in this new parking lot and
it is a lot more accessible,” he said.
The parking lot was filled with people. There were informational booths
from 19 nonprofit organizations, a sound stage and a big barbecue, with
free food for nearly 800 guests. Easter Seals was sharing information
for parents of special-needs children and adaptive equipment, including
a walking machine, was on display.
“So many times, people with special needs don’t realize the things that
are accessible to them,” said Anderson. “Everything can be accessible
with an accessible mind.”
About 100 people, including pilots, volunteered to make the
