'Superhero' kids include 5-year-old birthday boy at New Jersey skate park
SOUTH BRUNSWICK, New Jersey -- Police in one New Jersey town are recognizing a group of "superhero" children who they say went above and beyond to include a 5-year-old boy with autism who was celebrating his birthday in a park.
The boy's mother, Kristen Braconi, brought her son Carter to the South Brunswick Skate Park, located right behind police headquarters, on Tuesday afternoon.
Carter, who also has ADHD, was riding a scooter when a group of older kids arrived. Braconi said they included him in their fun, and one of them even gave him a mini-skateboard and showed him how to use it before the group sang him "Happy Birthday."
"They were absolutely amazing with him and included him and were so beyond kind it brought me to tears," she wrote in a Facebook post on a South Brunswick community page. "I can't even begin to thank these kids for being so kind and showing him how wonderful people can be to complete strangers...Thank you to whoever these children are and thank you to their parents because you are doing a wonderful job!!!"
Police wanted to track down the kind Samaritans and throw them a party.
"These kids showed the care and compassion of Superheroes," police said on Twitter. "We want to throw them a little pizza party to recognize their Superhero status."
Braconi said she had no idea police caught wind of her post and wanted to get involved to help recognize these kind kids.
The Crossroads North Middle schoolers had a happy reunion with Carter Thursday at the skate park where the story came to life.
"We're always happy to see members of the community step up and take care of one another," said South Brunswick Police Lt. Gene Rickle.
Carter gets therapy to help with his attention deficit disorder and doesn't tend to do well with other kids.
"He didn't really feel like he could go and hang out with other kids, we would have to try and encourage him," said Braconi.
Until the other kids came along and started interacting with him. "At first he started because he wanted to go down the ramp so I started giving him tips so he wouldn't fall," said one of the kids,13-year-old Gavin.
South Brunswick Police rewarded them all with special medals to recognize the kindness they had shown.
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