The annual Walk the Walk for Autism will be held in Stellarton on Saturday.
The event is hosted by Nova Scotia Autism – Pictou County Chapter.
Adam Casey is vice president of the group and said they’ve got a lot of great activities planned for the day centred at G.R. Saunders Elementary School in Stellarton. Registration starts at 9:30 a.m. The walk itself will be held at 11 a.m. followed by carnival games and bouncey houses among other activities at G.R. Saunders Elementary School which are all free. Donations will be accepted.
Each year the event draws hundreds of people out and this year organizers expect to have as many or more at the event which is the non-profit’s largest fundraiser of the year. Their goal is to raise $80,000 while also having a fun day for families.
Casey said he first reached out to the local support group when his son Aydon was diagnosed with autism at three years old. He’s now 12 and for the last nine years the family has found the chapter a great source of not only support and resources but also friendship.
Children with autism often don’t have the best social skills and as a result often feel secluded, he said. The Pictou County Chapter allows opportunities to interact with other kids though and do fun things like having a having a pizza party or taking a trip to Magic Mountain in Moncton.
“The number of people in our group has just grown immensely,” he said. “We have a couple hundred people that are part of our group that are directly involved.”
They include children who aren’t in school yet, right up to adults who have autism.
All of the money raised at the walk will be used in Pictou County and helps with programs such as one-on-one swimming classes for children with autism, music therapy and art programs.
This year the chapter also opened their own resource office at 115 MacLean St., located in Bridgeview Square above H&R Music. Casey said that has been a tremendous help to the group because previously they’d be working out of the executive board member’s living rooms. Now people have a place to go to meet, find out resources available and make connections. Hours of the resource centre fluctuate some, but can be found on the group’s Facebook page.
