The whole idea was inspired by Izzy Paskowitz's son, Isaiah, who has severe autism. Izzy, a former world longboard champion, realized early on that his son shared the Paskowitz family's love of the ocean. When Izzy took Isaiah gliding on the waves, the boy became calm and happy. Elated by this discovery, Izzy became determined to share this experience with other children with autism.

The Surfers Healing surf camps have been held up and down the California coast and even in New York. Every event is completely free for the kids and their families, who are treated to lunch on the beach and one-on-one surf sessions with instructors from the Paskowitz Surf School and local pros.

Last year, many of Hawai'i's surfing elite came to volunteer. World champion longboarder Bongo Perkins was there. Rabbit Kekai took a tiny girl out on his board. In no time, she was standing up on her own.

Izzy himself rarely gets out of the water the whole day, and he never stops smiling. Parents have to wade into the surf to shake his hand, kiss his cheek and say damp-eyed thank-yous. He is radiant. He's a part of something very soulful.

Many on the beach said it out loud, but surely everyone was thinking it: to look out on the water, you didn't see autism. You just saw kids having one of the best times of their lives.

Jennifer Tracy of Surfers Healing helps Paskowitz organize the event. She's still looking for some help from sponsors.

An old friend of the surfing community, Rainbow Drive-In, has again stepped forward to donate lunch for all the participants of the surf party. "Good old Jim Gusukuma from Rainbow Drive-In, he said, 'Whatever you need. Just tell me how many I'm feeding,' " Tracy says.

But the organizers could still use some help.

"It just costs us a ton of money to get over to Hawai'i from California," Tracy says. "The airline tickets are so expensive, and we're sharing one hotel room, seven surf instructors to one room."

They're hoping for some more help in feeding the surf instructors during their stay. Theo David Foodservice just gave them gift certificates from Pizza Hut/Taco Bell

"We're so excited about that. A $5 gift certificate from Taco Bell goes a long way for our crew!"

Surfers Healing is also hoping to see the families they met last year and to have some new kids come to the party. Postcard invitations will go out to everyone who gave their address when they signed up at last year's event. First-timers can register their kids online at the Web site or by calling Jennifer directly.

"When we do this, there's all this energy the kids have in the water," Paskowitz said at last year's event. "The parents and siblings come and watch their little guy do something different and not so clinical and textbook but something fun and outside and super cool — something I don't think they'd assume they'd ever do."