The Central Coast Autism Spectrum Center (CCASC) held its second Walk for Autism to raise money and awareness for the Central Coast autistic community on Sunday.
CCASC organized an Autism Awareness Fair in Mission Plaza at noon with food, entertainment and informational booths. Then at 2:30, participants walked down Monterey or Broad Street.
Coordinator Shawna Whitfield said the event benefits the whole Central Coast community.
“The walk raises money for autism prevention and treatment, but it does more than that,” Whitfield said. “Just about everyone is or knows someone who is affected by autism. This event is designed to make the issue seem less scary and encourage people to get involved.”
CCASC’s first Walk for Autism last year drew about 500 participants. This year there were more than 600 participants and more than $34,000 raised as of Sunday. Participants registered on the center’s website in teams or individually.
CCASC began in 2007 as a nonprofit organization to give Central Coast families dealing with autism information, support and encouragement. Founder Juli Miller said her inspiration to begin CCASC was the spirit of the parents with autistic children at her son’s school in Templeton.
“I was blown away by their tenacity, their desperation and their hope,” Miller said. “I wondered why someone didn’t do something, and then I realized it could be me. The purpose of the center is to unite people in the Central Coast who deal with autism and show them they’re not alone.”
Miller organized a walk for autism in Central California two years ago after hearing about similar walks in other areas of California.
“Everything came together at the last minute for the first walk, but it turned out really great,” she said. “I think the response this year was even better.”
A team from Cal Poly’s student-run public relations firm, Central Coast PRspectives, helped advertise the walk. Journalism junior Kristi Gonzalez said her campaign team took on CCASC as a client last quarter out of a desire to help the center’s cause. The team put the event on community calendars, posted flyers, reached out to the Cal Poly student body and created a Facebook page.
“CCASC did a great job on their own last year, and we wanted to see if we could help them do even better,” Gonzalez said. “It’s the only organization on the Central Coast that offers this kind of help to people affected by autism, and we wanted to reach as many people as we could.”
Sunday’s event had something for everyone. Adults mingled and talked to representatives from Central Coast companies offering support to families affected by autism; children enjoyed ice cream, a magic show and a bounce house.
“I wanted this to be a really fun experience for everyone,” Miller said. “CCASC participated in the Santa Barbara walk last November, but it didn’t have that feeling of community, and I think that’s really important.”
Kristie Bullock brought her family’s team from Nipomo to participate in the walk for a second year. Bullock’s five-year-old son Kasen was diagnosed with autism about two years ago.
“We heard about the walk from some friends and through the CCASC website,” she said. “It’s a really great event. We’ll definitely keep coming back in the years to come.”
CCASC’s organizers said they hope the walk’s large response this year will attract the attention autism needs.
“People need to realize how many people in our area deal with autism — it’s more than they realize,” Miller said. “If our elected officials see those numbers, hopefully they will realize that it’s a real public health crisis and that changes need to be made.”