Early morning rainfall didn’t dampen the spirits of the approximately 30 people participating in Saturday’s “Second Annual Autism Awareness Horse & Wagon Trail Ride.”

“Sure we would have loved for it to be a sunny day, but that didn’t happen,” said Vickie Danielson, event coordinator. “We almost canceled it when we saw the rain, but we decided we had to keep it going and we needed to do it anyway.”

Sponsored by Exit Realty Extreme Team of Laurel, the trail ride is held to bring awareness to autism and to inform people about it’s impact on the lives of children and their families.

The Autism Society, the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization headquartered in Bethesda, Md., defines autism as “a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others.”

The organization’s Website further notes that, “autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a ‘spectrum disorder’ that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees.”

Danielson, who has two grandsons in Nashville that have the spectrum disorder, said proceeds from Saturday’s trail ride will benefit Kamp Kaleidoscope, an inclusive summer camp program providing summer camp fun for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The camp was founded by Dr. Mark H. Yeager, an adjunct professor at both the University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey University, and is attended by children diagnosed with ASD and their neuro-typical peers. It provides a fun and educational experience for children and workers, alike.

“The registration was $15 a person,” said Danielson. “That tells you something about how much we were able to raise. At least we will be able to present something to the camp. Next year we are expecting to have a lot more vendors and make the event a lot bigger.”

People came from Jones and Smith counties, as well as Destin, Fla., to participate in the event. Wayne Johnson and his family said they came from Destin because “it was a worthy cause” and they wanted to do what they could to promote autism awareness.

“We tried to get more people to come along with us, but they said we were going to get rained out and didn’t come,” added family member Sabrina McKenney. “We’re glad to be here.”

J. Benson Hill and his wife, Etoile, of Laurel were also glad to participate in the event. “It’s all about autism awareness,” said Etoile Hill.

They made the trail ride a family affair with their daughter, Becky Tew, and her friend Tommy Ellzie also participating.

“We decided to participate despite the rain,” explained Ellzie. “We Baptists don’t mind getting wet.”