Sunday I took Jaxon to HollyRod 4 Kids 3rd Annual My Brother Charlie Family Carnival. And like most Holly Robinson Peete events, it didn’t disappoint! Jaxon had an absolute BALL! It was a nice place to be able to take him with no judgement, a safe environment and great engaging activities! 
The My Brother Charlie carnival as created by Holly & Rodney to provide a place for families with kids with Autism or disabilities to come together enjoy themselves and one another in a safe, judgement free environment! It’s named after the award-winning children’s book Holly wrote with her daughter, Ryan Peete that chronicles Autism through the eyes of a sibling. Great book! Great concept! It’s actually one of Jaxon’s favorite books. I believe it should be in all school libraries and apart of story time at your local indoor playgrounds!
Someone asked me why I took him to a carnival that was designed for kids with Autism. My son doesn’t have Autism, so what were we doing there? Well, I don’t think my son shouldn’t play and be around kids that have autism. I think this is a perfect age to teach him about kids with autism or about kids who are a little different from him. He should know more than tolerance or acceptance. There shouldn’t be a difference between his friends with Autism and his friends with Asthma! Most kids are mean and rude to others because of fear. They fear what they don’t understand. My son loves Holly’s kids! Her son Rodney is no different to him than her son Roman. He gets excited when he sees them all! Jax didn’t see anything different about any of the kids he danced and played with Sunday. And that’s the way it should be! All he knew was there were kids, music and food…. Heaven on earth to him!
I LOVED seeing all the kids dancing and enjoying one another! It was a parent’s dream of good healthy food and snacks and treats for the kids. Yes there was Cotton Candy & Churros, but there was also Smart Water, chicken burgers by Outback, Jamba Juice and some gluten-free snacks! Jax jumped his little heart out on the trampoline and tried to take on a 16 year old in basketball! Then there was the face painting and cheering Roman Peete on in his rock climbing efforts, after we watched Robinson Peete get dunked time after time in the dunk tank. We jammed out to The McClain Sisters and The Sledge Grits Band who were both amazing girl bands. Jax sweated out his Pirate face painting dancing his heart out while DJ Danno spun. All you could see were kids running and being free. All 
you could hear was music and laughter. It was fantastic! It was a super stress free environment. Had a blast! Cheers to Holly Robinson Peete, Rodney Peete and the whole HollyRod Foundation staff for another great event! I encourage you to follow them on twitter and check out their website. This is a foundation that gets things done. And yes this endorsement is personal and bit bias…but I’ve known Holly for most of my life and I know how dedicated she is!
Before she had children she was advocated for children. When I was in second or third grade Holly took me to an event kinda like My Brother Charlie Family Carnival, but it was for abused and neglected children. She talked to me about the kids on the ride over and what this kind of event meant to them. She spoke about how even though tonight I would leave with someone who loved me and go home to someone who loved me, some of these kids wouldn’t. This was the most fun they would have. It stuck with me. It put a lot of things in perspective for me. That event changed my little life, got me to thinking about things I normally wouldn’t think about at 7 or 8. That passion she had then has never waivered and I’m so proud to know her. She has always used her celebrities and resources to help others in whatever way she can. So beyond knowing her and her being like a big sister to me, I absolutely believe in her. I believe in the HollyRod Foundation and I have been blessed to be able to speak to Parkinsons patients and parents of Autism that her foundation has helped in some way. I encourage you to help her help others by volunteering, referring families or donating to The HollyRod Foundation & HollyRod 4 Kids.
