Sailing for Kids on the Shores of the Long Island Sound

More than 100 people gathered at the American Yacht Club in Rye Sunday to "Sail 4 Kids," an event that gives families from the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center a day of fun and relaxation on the Long Island Sound.

The "Sail 4 Kids" cruise, which is in its sixth year, provides a positive distraction for families with children facing complex medical issues.

The event was started in 2003 when American Yacht Club members, who were hosting a fundraiser for the hospital, began thinking about something more "hands-on" for families.

The cruise pairs patients from the hospital and their families with members of the American Yacht Club who have volunteered their boats and sailing skills to treat families to an afternoon of sailing on the Long Island Sound. Families also enjoyed a barbecue on the Yacht Club lawn after their boating adventure.

This year, the event attracted 20 families from the hospital and around 150 people total, a significant increase from the inaugural "Sail 4 Kids," which hosted just two families.

"It's great for the kids to forget about the things that they're going through, and experience, for a lot of kids, something that they wouldn't get to experience until they were adults, which is to go sailing on a huge boat for day," said Chris Mullin, whose son 9-year old son Brian was diagnosed at an early age with a cancer called neuroblastoma. Brian is now better, thanks to the help of the Children's Hospital.

The event, which is meant to raise the spirits of the children, is very much, as its title proclaims, focused on the kids. Patients ranging from toddlers to teenagers gathered on the dock and as they were taken out to the sailboats in a water taxi, their anticipation was palpable.

"I've never been on [a sailboat]," said Alex Schlapfer, 17, from the deck of his boat for the day.

Alex, who was seated on the side of the boat with his feet hovering over the water, said his favorite part of the whole experience was "hanging off the edge" of the vessel.

Six-year-old Frankie Flora was also enthusiastic.

"It was the greatest day of my life," he said.

Andrew LaGuardia, a spokesperson for the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, said the cruise provides families with a sense of encouragement.

"I think it's hard not to get involved when you're struggling along with these families and cheering for them the whole way," he said.