news-record.com

Grayson Sherrell was an exceptional child, an autistic boy full of love and happiness.

And his parents, Roger and Donna Sherrell, and others who are helping them are doing exceptional things in Grayson’s memory.
Grayson, 6, drowned last Aug. 8.

The Sherrells established the Grayson Foundation to help other autistic children in the Winston-Salem-Forsyth County School System.

First project for foundation volunteers was a “THANKSgiving” donation to both Sedge Garden Elementary and Cash Elementary schools in Kernersville.

The gift to Sedge Garden was really special, Donna Sherrell said. “We were able to purchase a new computer system for Grayson’s first classroom,” she said.

Enough supplies to last for an entire year were provided for two special-needs classes at Cash Elementary.

The Sherrells, enlisting other parents and friends, haven’t stopped working on projects to help children with autism, a neurological and developmental disorder.

Not only are the efforts keeping Grayson’s memory alive, families are being brought together and children are being helped, Donna Sherrell said.

Volunteers finished a six-week “Swim to Safety” program for seven autistic children on June 11 at the Family Life Center of First Christian Church and Academy in Kernersville. Swimming lessons were provided twice each week, and each swimmer got a free Grayson Foundation T-shirt on the final day of the lessons.

“We continue to look for ways to help autistic children and to bring families together,” Donna Sherrell said.

Some foundation members may be participating in the 11th annual Ribbon Run of the Autistic Society of N.C. in Raleigh this fall. A group of 31 adults —Team Grayson — ran in the event last fall.

The next fundraiser will be a “Golfin’ for Grayson” tournament at Reynolds Park in Winston-Salem, according to foundation member Kevin Bedard. Plans are to make this an annual event, he said.
“All proceeds will go to fund programs to support students with autism and their families,” he said.

The tournament will be a captain’s choice format, with an 8 a.m. shotgun start at a cost of $200 per team.

Teams can register at www.graysonfoundation.net or by calling Reynolds Park at 650-7660.

Bedard, who is heading this project, said he is available to provide more details at 880-2154.

“It’s amazing what all has been done in just a few months,” Donna Sherrell said. “As we get more donations and are able to have fundraising projects, we will be able to do even more,” she said.

Donna Sherrell feels that the foundation’s efforts are gaining momentum.

“We have had some really outstanding families join us in this effort. We have been so blessed. Grayson has come to mean so much to so many other people,” she said.

“We’re able to make something good out of something that we don’t even understand.”

Contact Bob Burchette at bburchette@triad.rr.com