Saturday, June 14, will be a day dedicated to honoring a foundation that has helped an area girl deal with a serious disease. Born with Rett syndrome, a neurological developmental disorder, 8-year-old Sorel is fully cognitive but completely immobile. As soon as she was diagnosed with Rett syndrome at 18 months, the International Rett Syndrome Foundation contacted Sorel’s parents and provided them with advice as well as resources and led them to multiple therapists to help their child. Chris Kolendrianos, Sorel’s father, said that the foundation “was amazing” and that it allowed his wife and him to “gain a support system with a lot of other really great families dealing with the same thing.”
For the third year in a row, Kolendrianos is raising funds for the foundation in order to further the research being done for Rett syndrome. The nine-mile ocean paddle in honor of Sorel begins at the north end of Goleta Beach and ends at Leadbetter Beach. “The paddle is not at all a race but just for fun,” said Kolendrianos.
There will also be a raffle to benefit the International Rett Syndrome Foundation, and tickets can be purchased at the beach following the paddle. For more information, contact Chris Kolendrianos at 403-4769 or ckgraphics@cox.net.