Marlins swim for good cause

Hobcaw youth swim team raises money for autistic child's service dog companion

Members of the Hobcaw Yacht Club Marlins Swim Team will swim laps Friday to raise funds for a service dog.

Members of the Marlins 8 to 18 years old have been collecting donations for a service dog that would assist Smith Pruitt, 11, an autistic child who lives in Wakendaw Lakes.

Smith's family needs to raise about $7,000 for the Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services, Columbia-based service dog organization in order to pay for the dog's training.

Erin Pruitt, Smith's mother, hopes her son will be paired with a dog by fall.

The dog would be trained to lie across Smith or stand against him when Smith feels anxiety. Smith like many autistic children seeks deep sensory pressure to calm his nerves.

Pruitt said the dog would also help Smith build relationships.

"It won't be love at first sight," Pruitt said.

Rather the dog and the boy would form a relationship slowly. Eventually the dog could help Smith with language development. Pruitt said while out in public with the dog, someone might ask Smith, "May I say hello to your dog?"

Pruitt said those experiences could help Smith with basic social interactions.

Raising funds for the animal will also help swimmers give back.

Hobcaw Yacht Club Marlins Swim Team treasurer Robin Adams said the team's leaders were looking to help the community through a Swim-a-Thon at the Harbor Yacht Club pool.

"Our children are so blessed with material things," Adams said.

Adams said she and other parents wanted to think about people who don't have the same blessings they do.

Smith's twin sister, Emily Pruitt, is a Marlins member. She canvassed the neighborhood promising to swim 30 laps and raised about $100. Other members of the 200-member team have done the same. They will turn in donations during the Swim-a-Thon Friday, which begins at 4 p.m.

For more information on this event contact: Robin Adams at 881-4205. To learn more about service dogs go to: www.PAALS.org.

Reach Jessica Johnson at 937-5921 or jjohnson@post andcourier.com.