Autism+Walk

By Alex Shariff
 * UW-Manitowoc Students Volunteer to Make Autism Event a Success **

Recently, UW-Manitowoc students volunteered to assist the Autism Society of the Lakeshore and Phoenix Behavioral Health Services with the 3rd annual Autism Awareness Walk and Family Fun Day to benefit the Autism Society of the Lakeshore (ASL). The event included kid’s carnival games, a raffle, brat fry, and a 1.2-mile walk through Lincoln Park. One of the student volunteers, UW-Manitowoc Student Senator Tom Edwards, is the brother of someone with autism. Edwards says he tries to advocate in a positive way for people with autism, “I feel doubting someone with autism is wrong. Everybody has a use. It may not be a big use but it’s wrong to assume that someone can’t do things.” Student Senator Samantha Jagodzinsky, a member of the Future Nurses program at UW-Manitowoc and an autism therapist with Phoenix Behavioral Health Services, helped with the kid’s carnival games. “I always enjoy being around the kids with autism,” Jagodzinsky said. “One thing I’ve learned is how much the community supports this event,” she said, pointing out the large number of donated raffle items. Other UW-Manitowoc students volunteering were Paul Nessman, David Jerale, Alex Shariff and UW-Manitowoc alumnus Justin McLaughlin. Organizers believed the event to be a big success and thanked the volunteers and community for their efforts. As ASL President Kelly Shariff said, “The purpose of the Walk was threefold: to raise funds for the Autism Society of the Lakeshore, to raise awareness about autism in the Lakeshore area and to bring the local autism community together.” And that it did as several hundred people came to support the autism community that weekend. Ms. Shariff noted, “We are really excited with the support we have received from the Lakeshore area and the autism community.”