April is National Autism Awareness Month and Autism Society Acadiana will kick off the celebration with their annual Walk for Hope and Family Fun Day on Saturday, April 6 at Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette. The Walk for Hope and Family Fun Day is a fundraiser for Autism Society Acadiana and includes a one-mile walk down Cajundome Blvd. as well as food and other activities both inside Blackham Coliseum and throughout the grounds.
This includes inflatable bounce houses and an obstacle course, building kits and other crafts, games, face painting and much more. This year, the group is also adding a petting zoo and an area where participants of all ages can touch and explore a tractor, a fire engine, an ambulance, and an 18-wheeler truck. “We are so excited about this year’s Walk!” says event co-chairs Hannah Ali & Lauren Tate.
“This is going to be our biggest and best yet!”Participants can register for the Walk for Hope online at www.acadianaautism.org. Registration fees are $20 for adults 13 years and older and $15 for children ages 4-12 years. All registrants age four and up who register prior to the event will receive a t-shirt. Families can register children three years and younger for free and purchase a t-shirt for them for $5. Participants four years and older can register the day of the event for $45.
Event t-shirts will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.Awards will be given out to the top three teams that raise the most donations. Participants will also vote for the best team t-shirt.In 1985, a group of parents whose children had autism formed Autism Society Acadiana to provide a place where other families touched by autism could find information, guidance and support. The organization has grown to serve over 800 individuals and families in seven Acadiana parishes.
Services offered include support groups, workshops and trainings, recreation and education stipends, mini-grants for teachers and other school-based professionals, family-friendly events, and other resources.For more information on Autism Society Acadiana and the 2019 Walk for Hope and Family Fun Day, visit www.acadianaautism.org or contact the organization at 337.235.4425.
