It’s World Autism Awareness Day today, and like millions of others, to further spread awareness, I am Lighting It Up Blue here on NKT. Last night, prominent buildings in major cities, including our very own Empire State Building shined blue lights to commemorate, today, April 2, which is World Autism Awareness Day.
World Autism Awareness Day shines a bright light on autism as a growing global health crisis.
This year marks the third annual World Autism Awareness Day, and various events will be held worldwide throughout the day to mark the occasion. Just a few fact from Autism Speaks that you may or may not know:
What is Autism?
Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). The other pervasive developmental disorders are PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified), Asperger’s Syndrome, Rett Syndrome and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. Many parents and professionals refer to this group as Autism Spectrum Disorders.
How common is Autism?
Today, it is estimated that one in every 110 children is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined. An estimated 1.5 million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide are affected by autism. Government statistics suggest the prevalence rate of autism is increasing 10-17 percent annually. There is not established explanation for this increase, although improved diagnosis and environmental influences are two reasons often considered.
Raising Autism awareness is the most important way everyone can help the cause. According to Autism Speaks, raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society can bring change that could lead to funding for global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism; and most importantly, hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder.
So, spread the word, friends and Light it Up Blue today. Here’s what you can do:
What can you do to Light It Up Blue
- Wear your Autism Speaks puzzle piece pin every day throughout the month of April, and tell people about autism if they ask about it.
- Change your Facebook profile picture to the Light It Up Blue logo and tag at least 10 of your friends.
- Post on your blog about how you are “lighting it up blue” to raise autism awareness.
- Add the Light It Up Blue logo to your e-mail signature … and type your e-mails in blue!
- Wear blue clothing and ask your co-workers, schools and friends to wear blue too.
- Bake puzzle piece shaped cookies and frost them with blue icing, then bring them to your school, work or place of worship to raise autism awareness.
For the month of April in honor of Autism Awareness, check out what these retailers and organizations have in store:
The 2010 Toys“R”Us fundraising campaign to benefit Autism Speaks launched on February 28 and continues through Friday, April 30. Since the partnership launched in 2007, Toys“R”Us, Inc., the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund and customer contributions have combined to provide Autism Speaks with more than $5.5 million. Throughout the nine-week effort, donations will be collected in all Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores in the U.S. and Canada and online at Toysrus.com/AutismSpeaks.
Toys “R” Us also offers “Ten Toys That Speak To Autism,” a special subset of the annualToys”R”Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids, to highlight toys that can help children with autism develop language, creativity and social skills, among others, while playing alongside siblings and friends. Information about the 2010 campaign – including the “Ten Toys That Speak To Autism” and a full list of Safe Play Tips, as well as a blog titled “Speaking About Autism” – is available at Toysrus.com/AutismSpeaks.
If you’re in the NYC area tomorrow, April 3, autism advocates Holly Robinson Peete (an Autism Speaks board member) and Rodney Peete will sign their new books at Toys“R”Us Times Square in Manhattan. The store’s “GeoffreyTron” electronic billboard will display information about the fundraising campaign to support Autism Speaks throughout the month of April.
Autism Speaks and retailer T.J.Maxx will partner in April on a fundraising and awareness effort. For three weeks, beginning April 11 at 880 T.J.Maxx stores nationwide, customers will be invited to purchase an Autism Speaks puzzle piece at checkout for a donation of $1. All proceeds will benefit Autism Speaks and customers will be able to pick up information about autism.
For the second year, chocolatier Lindt & Sprüngli is donating 10 cents for every Lindt Gold Bunny sold in leading grocery stores and its own retail stores leading up to Easter for up to a $100,000 donation. As part of this promotion, Lindt is auctioning off special celebrity-autographed porcelain bunnies with all proceeds benefiting Autism Speaks. Additionally, the company is participating in Autism Speaks’ Light It Up Blue campaign at many of its retail outlets, and will hold its second annual Unsung Heroes of Autism Awards on April 1 at the New York Palace hotel.
Modell’s Sporting Goods stores will launch its fifth annual four-week in-store campaign in April to raise funds and awareness for Autism Speaks. Customers at 144 Modell’s store locations throughout the Northeast will be able to purchase $1 Autism Speaks puzzle pieces at check-out, with all proceeds being directed towards autism research.
Build-A-Bear Workshop and Autism Speaks are also teaming up for the sixth consecutive year. During the month of April, customers at its stores in the U.S. and Canada will have the opportunity to make a donation to Autism Speaks at check-out. All stores will also offer customers printed information about autism.
All 8,800 Dollar General stores will give customers the opportunity to donate $1 to Autism Speaks at check-out. Dollar General’s NASCAR and IRL cars will carry the Autism Speaks blue puzzle piece logo during April races. Dollar General also donated $50,000 and will make an additional $50,000 donation to Autism Speaks for every race won by either Dollar General car in April.
Ask.com will feature Autism Speaks on its home page throughout the month of April and will be entirely blue on April 1. Visitors to Ask.com will be able to participate in a Q&A that earns donations for Autism Speaks.
Casey’s General Stores, for the first time, will sell puzzle pieces for $1 at its over 1,500 stores in nine mid-western states to benefit Autism Speaks.
NEST Home Fragrances has launched its Autism Speaks-branded Blue Garden candle in celebration of the 5th Anniversary of Autism Speaks. Sold through Nieman Marcus, Nieman Marcus.com, Bergdorf Goodman and many small boutiques across the country, this scented candle will also be used by retailers to participate in the Light It Up Blue campaign for World Autism Awareness Day and Autism Awareness Month. All net proceeds from sales of the candle will benefit Autism Speaks.
For the first time, all White Castle stores will participate in an in-store puzzle piece fundraising and awareness campaign. The campaign will roll out region-by-region beginning April 18.
Hy-Vee stores will distribute more than three million plastic grocery store bags with the Autism Speaks logo and awareness facts throughout April. With sales of more than $6.4 billion and more than 228 retail stores across eight Midwestern states, Hy-Vee ranks among the top 30 supermarket chains in the nation. Hy-Vee is also a sponsor of the Iowa Walk Now for Autism Speaks on June 19. During the week of April 19-25, a percentage of sales will be donated to the Walk.
Throughout the month of April, a group of 14 Panera Bread stores in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and in Memphis, Tenn. will be giving customers the opportunity to donate to Autism Speaks, and will also donate all proceeds from the sale of Blueberry bagels and a new Wildberry smoothie to the organization. Special blue bracelets will be available for $1. The participating stores have teamed up with local groups to support their fundraising efforts throughout March and April; the stores will also hold seminars about autism.
