PALS to hold Hearts for Autism Walk
February 6, 2017
On Saturday, Feb. 11, the Providing Autism Links and Supports, or PALS, club will hold its seventh Hearts for Autism Walk from 9 a.m. to noon in Sam Momary Stadium to raise money for the autism community.
A wide variety of activities will be offered at the event, ranging from a bounce house to teacher dunk tanks. There will also be fire trucks, a helicopter landing, Kona Ice and performances by Hagerty chorus and the Carillon Kids Chorus. As participants walk around the track, they can stop to check out vendors or participate in a hula-hoop contest.
Participants can register as individuals or groups either online or at a table in the cafeteria during both lunches Wednesday to Friday. The registration fee is $5 through Friday, then goes up to $8 on Saturday. T-shirts will also be sold for $20 through Friday and $25 on Saturday.
Several items will be raffled including gift certificates to hair and nail salons, two tickets to SeaWorld and four tickets to Aquatica. Tickets will cost $1 or 20 for $10 and the drawings will be held at the end of the event.
“We try to appeal to high school, middle school, and elementary school students all at the same time to reach the largest audience possible,” PALS president Vanessa Davenport said.
The club holds other events throughout the year, such as board game night with students from the school’s VE class and bowling with community members on the autism spectrum. PALS is partnered with the UCF’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, or CARD, program, which provides resources to individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families, supporting over 11,000 people in Central Florida.
“Having this one walk a year helps to bring people together to realize there are students who can’t overcome some things on their own, so they need others to join with them,” Davenport said.
Click here to register or donate: www.crowdrise.com/2017HeartsforAutismWalk
