The Brevard Center Walks for Autism

By Ashley Titone, Brevard Center student

Walk Now for Autism is Autism Speaks’ signature fund raising and awareness event which takes place in communities across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Powered by volunteers and families with loved ones on the Autism spectrum, this successful grassroots fund raising effort not only generates vital funds for Autism research but also raises awareness about the increasing prevalence of Autism and the need for increased research funding to combat this complex disorder.

This will be the second year in a row that the Brevard Center has participated in Walk Now for Autism. The 2008 event was a blast. It was a day where tons of people came together to walk, show support and have fun while supporting this nationally known organization. Last year, I was one of the lucky few to be invited into the VIP Grand Club which was reserved for anyone who raised over $1,000 in donations. I got to speak in front of over 2,000 people to explain how I raised what I did. The experience of speaking in front of that many people without prior notice was something I’d never done before and was completely surreal. The experience and feeling was absolutely amazing!

All of us here at the Brevard Center had a blast last year and we intend to kick it up for the 2009 walk which takes place on November 14. Our team is Caleb’s Guardian Angels, named for a very special 11 year old boy with Autism. As the team captain, I’m working hard, along with our team members, to get us to our goal of raising $3500. So far, we’ve raised $2800 and our team currently ranks first in donations.

If you’d like to check out our progress or make a donation to the team, please visit our team page.