Some boats can be considered puzzling. Ilene Perez and Carlos Galindo’s boat certainly is — figuratively. That’s because they’ve been working hard to wrap the largest vessel in their TowBoatUS Islamorada fleet, a 32-foot Ocean Master boat, with the signature look for autism awareness; a puzzle, coming together piece by piece.
If you’re asking, “why,” April 2 was National Autism Awareness Day, and Perez’s 17-year-old son, Lief Diaz, is included in the estimated 1 in every 44 children who have the disorder, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. The CDC also notes that boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls and that the disorder does not show increased or decreased impact based on ethnic, socioeconomic or racial groups. The family wanted to bring awareness of these facts to the local Keys community and beyond.
Perez and Galindo have owned and operated TowBoatUS Islamorada for six years. Together, they’ve been helping local boaters put any puzzle pieces in place when it comes to needing on-water assistance such as refueling, jumpstarts, emergency towing and more. Now, the family is bringing together its profession at TowBoatUS and a passion for supporting the autism community.
“The puzzle imagery for autism awareness represents the complex nature of this diagnosis,” Perez said. “Each unique puzzle piece reminds us of how every person with autism is different. Just like all the moving parts on a boat, there are many things to learn, to consider and to work towards once a loved one is diagnosed with autism. It’s a challenge that requires community and it is so rewarding to see awareness and sensitivity to this topic move forward by leaps and bounds.”
One unique and local support system close to the family’s heart is Island Dolphin Care. The organization provides animal-assisted (dolphin), motivational and educational programs to children, adults with special needs and their families and caregivers. Island Dolphin Care has developed a program specifically for participants with autism, filling a need for alternative approaches to this diagnosis. Perez and Galindo will be donating a portion of the fees from each tow they conduct during April directly to Island Dolphin Care to help others use the resources that Leif has benefited from.
“We are proud that Ilene and Carlos are using their boat as a platform to bring attention to an important topic like autism awareness,” said John Condon, BoatUS vice president of towing services. “They are constantly out on the water and are known by so many boaters in their community that will know as to why their boat looks a bit different. It’s sure to get people thinking.”
A membership with BoatUS takes the “puzzle” out of boating and makes troubleshooting easy. A team of professionals, like Perez and Galindo, are at the service of boaters to assist when the unexpected happens. Boaters get to work with experts who are committed to serving their local communities, whether it is helping spotlight an important local cause, or simply lending a hand when they need help on the water. More information about local autism awareness with Island Dolphin Care is at islanddolphincare.org. More information about BoatUS memberships is at BoatUS.com.
