In honor of April being Autism Awareness Month, Renee Schmoekel, supervisor of District Center Based Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) programs, always puts together a walk-a-thon held on P-CEP’s campus on the last Saturday of April. This year was their 10^th anniversary, and the event was held April 29 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Schmoekel wanted everyone to be aware that autism is a neurological disorder, but that autistic children still have a wide range of intellectual abilities.

Schmoekel said, “This is about uniting families, but also making people aware.”

Autism is a spectrum disorder ranging from classic autism to Asperger’s syndrome. According to the Autism Science Foundation, in a 2014 report, autism occurs in one out of 68 children in the U.S. They also note that in 2012, two years prior, the estimate was one in 88 children, meaning that each year the numbers increase.

The walk took place around P-CEP’s campus, but the main sales and raffles were in the Plymouth gymnasium. There were over 40 baskets and gift cards donated to raffle off and raise money for the event, including “family night” board game baskets and even a “treat yourself” basket with sparkling juice as an alternative to wine.

Schmoekel said that 100 to 200 families come out to walk each year, and that the event is steadily growing.

“It’s a real opportunity for former students to come back and participate in some really great camaraderie. You get to see how they matured from preschool to adulthood; it’s so nice,” said Phyllis Kownacki, a teacher in the ASD program at Liberty Middle School. “There are former and present students here. Even people who aged out of our adult program are here.”

Kownacki has been teaching for 22 years now, not to mention that she has been volunteering with the walk-a-thon all 10 years it’s been running. “NHS (National Honor Society) volunteers have been helping for years, and we really appreciate their support. Some of the kid’s peer mentors come and volunteer as well.”

Kownacki also said their off-campus programs and sites, including Madonna University, three high schools, three middle schools and other programs for all ages.

Regina Siordia, Plymouth senior, who was a first-time volunteer through NHS, said about the event, “I love the people, they’re so friendly. It’s really a lot of fun.” Siordia also mentioned that she arrived at the event an hour early to help set up, and from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. she had already helped sell a few hundred dollars worth of merchandise.

Schmoekel made sure to recognize all the people that made the event possible, and she sent a big thank you to the ASD staff for donating baskets, volunteering and coming to the event on Saturday. She also said a special thank you to Janet Fraser for the work she did organizing and ordering the t-shirts.

She said, “I would like to thank Rachel Lepper and Kelly Righter who were co-organizers from NHS. They did a wonderful job planning, finding donations and helping with the event this year. I would also like to thank those students that volunteered from NHS during Saturday’s event.”

Schmoekel told the Perspective that they made over $3,900 that will be used to support and buy curriculum for ASD center base programs.