As a parent of a son with special needs, I have many dreams for him that I thought would remain just that -- dreams. But, through the years, God has shown our family that certain wishes could actually come true when we take the time to look for, and recognize, answers to our prayers.

In my wildest dreams, I never thought my son would get the chance to go surfing!

Honestly though, I didn't quite imagine receiving certain unexpected blessings that seemed so impossible to have many years ago. And yet, here we are, seeing James getting to enjoy life so much more because he's healthier and happier and is presented with opportunities that were not available when we were still living in the Philippines.

Last year, one of the best things that gave us so much joy was seeing James go surfing and do other fun water activities that we never thought existed!

Daddy and James on a paddleboard in Newport Beach

It was sometime in February 2018 when I chanced upon a blog post of Joyful Journey Mom who shared the list of special needs resources she compiled. Unfortunately, her website couldn't be found anymore because the domain seemed to have expired. Anyhow, I've read there about an organization called Ride A Wave that "enables kids with special needs to experience the thrill of riding a wave regardless of their challenges."

Curious, I visited their website and saw that they are based in Santa Cruz, California, which is 364 miles away from where we live. Still hopeful, I filled out their contact form and asked if there may be a chance for them to hold a beach camp nearer us. The next day, Don, a member of their advisory board, emailed back and suggested I check out their sister organization in Southern California instead. 

Best Day Foundation has the best volunteers and staff members!

That was how I found Best Day Foundation, an organization that creates special days for kids and young adults ages 4 to 24+ who have Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Blindness, Cancer, Spinal Cord Injuries, and other physical and developmental challenges.

Eagerly, I visited their website, browsed the photos and videos, and got more excited when I found locations that are within reasonable driving distance. When I had James watch some of the videos and asked if he would like to go to the beach and ride a surfboard, his eyes lit up and he started smiling and laughing. In my heart of hearts, that was my affirmation that he should have that amazing experience!

Isn't that smile contagious?! :)

After discussing it with my husband, I signed James up for a slot for the May 20th activity in Seal Beach even though it was still three months away. In the meantime, we'd watch the videos on the website every now and then while I kept reminding James to patiently wait for a few more weeks. He would always answer me with a big smile.

May 20th turned out to be a little cold and cloudy though so I became a bit concerned about how chilly the water would be. Thankfully, aside from the helmets and life jackets, Best Day provided all participants with wetsuits to keep them warm. Everyone was so friendly when we got to the site. James was paired with his beach buddies, Heather and Bryan, who took great care of him while hubby, myself, and our son Gab, took photos and videos to preserve the precious moments.

When it was finally James' turn to ride the specially designed surf chair, I felt nervous but still excited at the same time especially seeing how far he and his surfer buddy were from the shore. Once they caught a wave and we saw them coming closer, everyone could see the big grin my son had. It was such an emotional moment for us to see James experiencing something that didn't even cross our minds to be a possibility!

Needless to say, the day was a huge success. Our young man was smiling all throughout that morning, in the car while going home, and up until he fell asleep that night. It felt so good to see him thoroughly enjoy that unique experience that I wish other kids like him could also get to have.

happy family at the beach

Since then, every time we show him photos of him surfing and being on the beach, he would express excitement and happiness at the memory. So I checked if there would still be other activities in SoCal in the coming months and fortunately found a slot for October 7th at Seal Beach. There, he was taken good care of volunteer Eddie, his assigned beach buddy for the day.

I am blogging about this now because I'd like to encourage other parents with special needs kids to likewise sign their children up to upcoming 2019 activities that start next month and will be happening in Florida, California (San Diego, Orange County, LA County, Ventura, Sta. Barbara), North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. 

Best Day at the beach with new friends

Volunteers are also welcome to share their time! Please visit bestdayfoundation.org/volunteer to sign up and read the FAQs. Donors, please consider sharing your resources at bestdayfoundation.org/donate to help subsidize participants whose parents may not be able to shoulder even the minimal registration fee. 

Dear readers, if you know of families who may benefit from this information, please do share it with them. I hope, one of these days, I'll be able to hear about a kid who was brought to a Best Day event because their mom or dad happened to read this blog post. It would be awesome to find out how more young people with special needs were able to experience one of their best days like our James had :) 

I was there when FWD Life Philippines was launched in 2014 and I am glad to see how much this insurance company has grown since. Last year, I also wrote about their partnership with Wattpad when they launched stories about financial literacy via the creative use of digital media.

This 2017, FWD Life Philippines takes on championing health and fitness by supporting the Fit Filipino (FitFil) Movement's National Weight Loss Challenge. Spearheaded by Jim and Toni Saret, fitness coaches at Biggest Loser Philippines Season 2, FitFil aims to get Filipinos to collectively lose one million pounds during the campaign period of June 6 to December 5, 2017.

Rochelle Vandenberghe, FWD Life Philippines Head of Marketing, expressed, "As an insurance industry pioneer in the space of health and wellness, [we] are delighted to partner with the Fit Filipino Movement and coaches Jim and Toni to inspire Filipinos in leading healthier lives with a series of fitness-centered events." 

Through FWD's Live to Move fitness parties in collaboration with FitFil and the challenge's partners, Vandenberghe said they "hope to inspire a new wave of awareness for the health benefits of keeping fit. For us at FWD, living life to the fullest starts with being healthy." I totally agree!

According to Coach Jim, founder of the FitFil Movement, "We have been working with FWD for over two years and their #GetReadyToLive brand attitude serves as one of the strong pillars of the National Weight Loss Challenge. We are excited to bring to life the country's biggest health and wellness campaign as we challenge Filipinos to collectively lose one million pounds!"

Coach Jim added that through this advocacy and movement, the goal is to spread the message that being fit and well starts with a simple commitment. "We encourage everyone to take ownership of their health and join us in getting fit," he implored. 

To launch its Live to Move health and wellness program, FWD Life held an energy-packed fitness party this past weekend at Central Park, SM by the Bay, Mall of Asia. Coaches Jim and Toni were joined by some of the country's top coaches from various gyms and fitness centers. The workout program centered around FWD Motion, a metabolic fitness (metafit) routine that helps shed off pounds in just four minutes of exercise. 

Hundreds of participants, including members of the Philippine National Police (PNP), joined other fitness enthusiasts in doing zumba, hip-hop, TRX, kickboxing, and cardio workouts, among others under the glow of the beautiful Manila Bay sunset. 

The FitFil National Weight Loss Challenge is supported by the country's premier medical organizations led by the Philippine Medical Association (PMA), the country's umbrella organization for medical practitioners, as well as the Philippine Heart Association (PHA), Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), Nutritionist-Dietitians' Association of the Philippines (NDAP), and the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA). Additionally pledging their support to the challenge are the PNP, Department of Science and Technology (DOST), various universities, local government units (LGUs), fitness clubs, and numerous corporations. 

It is quite heartening to see more and more Filipinos taking their first steps towards a healthier lifestyle. If you are really serious about losing those unwanted pounds, make a pledge to lose them by December by signing up for free at www.fitfil.ph. FYI, there are rewards waiting for those who achieve their goals! :)

Summer breaks give us, parents, more time to oversee our children's food choices and encourage them to pursue fitness activities. However, once they start going to school again, it gets more difficult to monitor if they're still eating healthy given their exposure to a lot of junk foods outside the home.

Thus, Robinsons Supermarket encourages families, especially students, to continue their journey towards healthy living this back-to-school season by discovering nutritious and rewarding food choices through Learn Wellness, the second promo event in the Route to Wellness campaign. 

Last Saturday, Robinsons Supermarket held its Magical World of Wellness event at Eastwood Central Plaza. I love the enchanting Harry Potter world setup, especially the photo booth where my son and I got to dress up as wizards from Hogwarts! All the booths have their own creative themes and interesting activities that guests got to enjoy. 

The fun wizarding exercises included a VTR game, potion-making, and finders-keepers game. Select moms were also able to learn how to make bento-boxes that they can prepare for their kids' baon when school starts next month. All these activities aim to help educate kids and kids-at-heart on the importance of proper nutrition and regular exercise.

Robinsons Supermarket's Route to Wellness campaign is the company's commitment to strengthen its We Love Wellness advocacy that enables it to provide healthier food options and alternatives to Filipinos. 

From May 1 to June 30, 2017, shoppers will get a P100 OFF coupon for a minimum single receipt purchase of P3,000 at Robinsons Supermarket. Purchases must be inclusive of P500 worth of participating products from Nestle, CDO, Splash, Wyeth, or Purefoods. Loyal shoppers can also earn additional 10 Robinsons Rewards Card points when they buy select Nestle products during this promo.

Personally, I am really happy to support advocacies that promote health and wellness since my husband and I are also actively trying to keep our family fit through running and other physical activities as well as through healthy food choices.

Please stay updated with Robinsons Supermarket's upcoming activities and learn more about its Route to Wellness campaign by liking facebook.com/RobinsonsSupermarketOfficial and visiting www.robinsons-supermarket.com.ph.

I have become more conscious about advocating for Mother Earth's protection since I became a mom more than two decades ago because I know that my children, and the generations after them, would still need the resources our planet generously provides.

So I am glad to see more and more establishments taking up this worthwhile cause and it was a pleasure to join Conrad Manila's first Earth Hour celebration the other day. The hotel took action locally to conserve energy and help raise awareness of climate change as part of a global initiative that is open to Hilton's more than 4,900 properties across 104 countries and territories.

With other Conrad Manila guests and team members, led by Hotel General Manager Harald Feurstein, my husband and I spent Earth Hour 2017 by joining them at the Hotel veranda where they had a symbolic formation of "60" using dozens of candles. In addition, their annual switching off of lights was done simultaneously with the Mall of Asia complex.    

While gathered around the candlelit formation, Mr. Feurstein and other hotel executives also led a commitment ceremony with children of hotel staff and guests to symbolically engage the next-generation of earth savers.

Checked-in guests were moreover invited to actively participate by switching off their room lights for 60 minutes in a unified effort to show commitment. Conrad Manila''s back-of-the-house facilities likewise observed the one-hour lights-off initiative.

Apart from conserving a significant amount of energy consumption during Earth Hour, the Hotel's dining outlets also made an effort to make the occasion an interactive experience for diners. Brasserie on 3, the Hotel's all-day dining outlet known for its open kitchen and live action stations, featured farm-to-table organic and sustainable dishes; the famed China Blue by Jereme Leung offered guests a special four-course set menu; while special cocktail mixes complemented by a live acoustic performance took center stage at the C-Lounge. 

An ardent environment advocate, Mr. Feurstein affirmed, "Conrad Manila is deeply committed to making a difference in the communities where we operate, particularly along environment protection, education, and social enterprise. We share a strong partnership with our local community partners for sustained environment community projects: clean-up drive, proper waste segregation and management, water recycling and energy conservation, and educational-cum-nutritional program assistance for pre-school children and their families."

In 2015, Hilton and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced a multi-year commitment to collaborate on a water-stewardship strategy, expand sustainable seafood efforts, advance food waste efforts, and accelerate the adoption of renewable energy across Hilton's portfolio.

It is Hilton's view that sustainability is a key part of its business because water, energy, food, commodities, waste requirements, and other factors significantly impact the economics of the company every day around the world. As such, preserving the environment is a business imperative and a cornerstone of Travel with Purpose. This is the company's corporate responsibility strategy to create shared value for Hilton Team Members, guests, business partners, and communities. 

Learn more about Hilton's commitment to preserving the environment by visiting cr.hiltonworldwide.com.

The Nat Geo Run 2015 will remain one of my favorite races because it was there where I ran my very first 10k. You can read more of that story, here: http://mommywrites.blogspot.com/2015/04/national-geographic-holds-successful.html

Now, two years later, National Geographic's Earth Day Run 2017 would help me mark another milestone as I prepare to join the 21k category for the first time -- right after running my first 16k last month, whew! I guess that's what happens when one becomes a runner; you continue to level up and celebrate how far you've come in your fitness journey! :)

This coming April 23, Earth Day Run 2017 will once more continue to raise people's consciousness about environmental issues as well as health and fitness in partnership with Cherifer Premium and World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF). On its 8th year, Earth Day Run maintains the tradition of being one of the biggest running events in the country, expecting thousands of running enthusiasts and Eco Warriors to register and run for the environment.

Apart from Manila, the event will likewise be held simultaneously in the cities of Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, and Taichung to replicate the initiative adopted last year, which effectively spread the vision and advocacy of Earth Day Run across Asia.

Hoping to mobilize all Eco Warriors of previous Earth Day Runs, this year's race welcomes all previously registered participants with VIP treatment and special loyalty perks to be enjoyed on the day of the run. They will be given priority placement in front of the starting line at the beginning of the race and can claim loot bags and finisher shirts at a special express booth. They can also make use of a special warm-up and cool down tent before and after the race to condition themselves and recover in comfort.

All participants are also invited to visit the 8 Years of EDR Gallery at the race village to learn about what the event has accomplished over the years, including environmental and social initiatives that has benefited with the help of registered runners. Personally, I am interested to learn how runners' participation at Earth Day Run has made a significant impact on certain communities in the Philippines as well as how our actions as individuals can affect the environment.

To be held at the SM Mall of Asia grounds, participants of all ages can join 5k, 10k, 21k, and 42k categories. Whether a newbie runner or a serious marathoner, everyone can be an Eco Warrior for Mother Earth! 

This year, Earth Day Run 2017 will also be sporting new features such as LED shoelaces for all distance categories to serve as a badge of pride and as a safety accessory when running at night or before sunrise. Prizes will also be awarded to costumed runners who showcase their creativity in coming up with an ensemble made from recycled materials. Lastly, to make each Eco Warrior's voice heard in this run for the Earth, there will be advocacy banners hanging above the finish line that runners can grab as they cross. These will serve as a shoutout for the environment, can be kept as a souvenir, and used for post-run selfies to amplify the message of acting now to save the Earth. 

Last year's Earth Day Run benefited causes such as saving the Irawaddy dolphins at the Malampaya Sound Research and Conservation Project in Palawan; giving the Earth Hour or "Gift of Life" village in Monreal, Masbate sustainable solutions that reduce carbon footprint; conservation of the Marine Protected Area and coral reef and Apo Reef in Occidental Mindoro; and beefing up reforestation efforts in the Ipo Watershed in Bulacan, which supplies Metro Manila with fresh water. 

"Earth Day Run 2017 will be the biggest version of the race yet, with more expected participants from Manila and four other cities across Asia. We're also excited to look back on our eight years of environmental advocacy and share and celebrate with our runners the positive change that they helped make possible through the years by joining Earth Day Run," said Charo Espedido, Director and Head of Content Marketing at FOX Networks Group Philippines.

"We hope that Earth Day Run 2017 not only brings communities of running enthusiasts together for the common cause of saving the environment, but also that it amplifies the important message of doing your own part today to help stop climate change and commit to sustainable solutions to save our beloved planet Earth," concluded Espedido.

To celebrate the eight years of social awareness through fitness with special program features, NatGeo requests Eco Warriors to please use the hashtag #8withEDR when posting on social media. Register until April 16, 2017 at natgeoearthdayrun.com now!