Our Day to Play at York’s Wild Kingdom
(September 2018) Saturday September 15th, was a special day at York’s Wild Kingdom as more than 75 Maine families affected by autism gathered to make some new friends while enjoying a day at the Park. The early morning fog didn’t keep families from gathering early in the day at the picnic area to start the day together as they awaited the opening of the Zoo and amusement rides.
While each family went off to enjoy the day in their own way, it was heartening to see the folks greeting one another throughout the park, kiddos identifiable in their “Our Day to Play” t-shirts and MAIER backpacks. MAIER staff, UMaine students, and volunteers were on hand to assist families with snacks, an animal scavenger hunt, and other activities at the picnic area when a break from all the excitement was needed.
Families gathered at lunchtime to enjoy a tasty picnic lunch together, thanks to the York Hospital and their Dining staff, and BSA Troop #369, who served families throughout the lunchtime, distributing the box lunches, apples, and cookies with kindness and smiles. It was an exhausting but rewarding day for volunteers and families alike!
The joy of the day is best described by the families themselves, in emails we received in the days after the event:
“Thank you so much for “Our Day to Play,” the kids had a blast.”
“My granddaughter absolutely loved the animals, but I really expected that since she has always loved any animal she has happened to meet…. she seemed right at ease at the park and didn’t appear anxious at all….she was so excited that she actually got to see the blue morpho butterfly which she has had an attachment to ever since she was a very little child”
One parent summed up the experience and the MAIER Family Partnership (MFP) hopes for the day, in this correspondence:
“We are so happy for our son and his ability to let go and be free with the animals at Yorks Wild Kingdom last week-end; he not only overcame the last hurdle of his fears associated with animals but he embraced it. He hugged a deer, a goat and fed ducks, goats, and deer alike. He and we had an absolutely amazing time. We also overcame some pretty significant fears that we all had with the rides. He went on the kiddie trains all by himself (and stayed safely seated) he took us on the roller coaster – none of this have we ever done before, not for lack of exposure, but he just wasn’t there yet
It’s often times a challenging consideration when you are investing a lot of time driving to a location, spending money on entry fees, and simply encountering the unexpected without ever knowing if you will be able to stay or if this will be the day you need to leave after going through all of that. Having this day be free financially, and probably most importantly judgment free, was truly appreciated by our family.”
Our sincere thanks to Amy Wheeler and her excellent staff a York’s Wild Kingdom; your generosity in welcoming our MFP families with free admission and taking all the extra steps to make them feel welcome is essential for the day’s success. Thanks as well to our donors and volunteers, especially BSA Troop #369 who did an excellent job serving lunch to our guests!
