by Hannah Denson
As a high school student involved in the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism (AOHT) class, students learned about the process of event planning, principles of finance, and how the ecosystem is involved in running a business. As our senior project was to create a new company for the community; instead of creating a new company, four seniors banded together and planned an event to help bring awareness about Autism to the community. One day there was a guest speaker that came in and spoke to us about her nephew that has Autism and asked us if we knew people who has Autism. Each senior knew at least one person that had Autism. As a class, we decided to contact the board to get our idea approved as our senior project.
What is Autism? Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. Currently, we know that there is not a single specific condition classified as Autism, but there are many subtypes. Each person with Autism can have unique strengths and challenges depending on where the individual is on the spectrum. Autism is influenced by numerous genetic and environmental factors that impact the development of Autism. Autism is often accompanied by medical issues such as Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, Seizures, and Sleep disturbances. Autism affects an estimated 1 in 59 people and can be easily diagnosed between 3 and 60 years-old. Men are more likely to develop Autism than women are. Many children with Autism engage in repetitive movements or unusual behaviors such as flapping their arms, rocking from side to side, or twirling.
As the senior class of AOHT, we decided to host an event to bring awareness about Autism to the community. While planning the event, a senior Caleb Leslie, came up with the name for the event, All in for Autism. At the event, activities were available for attendees to participate in, such as, creating sensory bottles, All in for Autism bracelets, and face painting. The goal of All in For Autism was to make our community aware of Autism and provide support for those that have Autism. As a group, we were able to accomplish many things to get the event started. All four seniors have some form of relation to someone with Autism. Many people do not realize that the person next to them could have Autism.
Part of the project design was that each senior member of the class was given a choice of jobs that needed to be completed. Caleb Leslie (one of the seniors) was our creative designer. He was in charge of designing things from the event. He designed t-shirts, wristbands, shorts, and socks. Caleb has his own clothing brand, Stay Sayf, which he just copyrighted. Caleb and his best friend created this company to help bring awareness to violence associated with school shootings and they have done very well with the company. They are now starting to gain an audience in overseas countries such as England and Japan. Nate Donaldson (one of the seniors) was the spokesperson for the team. He was in charge of any interviews that needed to be done or any speeches that were necessary. Heaven McIver (one of the seniors) was our creative marketer. Her job was to create flyers, social media platforms, and banners. She created great flyers for the event that we put all over the schools and in the community. My job for the group project was to be the secretary. As the secretary, I was asked to make a list of things we needed, a list of things that have been created, to create an agenda, and call the newspaper and local news stations. I sent emails to our local news stations, Good Morning America, and our local paper. Below is the Press Release I sent out:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
All In For Autism
Sanford, North Carolina- April 30, 2018- A group of four seniors in the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism at Lee County High School, are going to host an event for Autism.
As their senior project they choose to create an Autism Awareness event called All In For Autism. Each student has their own way they are connected with someone who has autism. Giving out bracelets that say “All In For Autism” on one side then on the other side will say “#PuzzlePiece.”
To get all the schools in the county involved the students have prepared a spirit week for their event the week before. The week will have “inside out day, wear or bring something that represents who you are, free day, Autism colors, and blue out day.”
There are numerous tasks associated when creating events. For instance, an event location would need to be determined and arranged that meets the needs of the event. People need to be aware of the event by knowing that we are having a walk and what the walk is by using social media and flyers. The funds raised will enhance lives today, while accelerating a spectrum of solutions for tomorrow.
Before the event could occur, there were a lot of challenges that the group faced. One thing I faced was getting the press release approved by my teacher and the principle. We faced other obstacles such as getting banners and speeches approved, preparing for public speaking, not having adequate materials such as sd cards to take photos of the day of the event, and getting students to come to the event.
The event was held at Lee County High School in the Paul B. Gay stadium on April 30, 2018. At the event, we had a food truck, games, a walk for Autism, face paint, and bounce houses. The food truck offered burgers, grilled cheese, and other foods. As far as games, we had bean bag toss, basketball, tug of war, and a football shoot game. Part of my job as the secretary was to take pictures of the event. While I was taking pictures of the event, I noticed that a lot of the kids had smiles on their faces and not just any normal smile. These were smiles that could make even the coldest heart melt. At Lee county, we had one Autistic student that everyone would hang around and we were really close. Mike would come up to me everyday and give me a hug.
Another daunting part of my job as the secretary was getting the local community to participate in the event. I started by contacting our local special needs school, Floyd L. Knight, along with all the other schools in the county that serve students with Autism or who are on the Autism Spectrum. The event was inclusive and students of all disabilities were welcomed to participate in All in For Autism. Lee County is a big supporter of the rights of citizens and students with disabilities. Our team was able to get over 30 students with Autism to attend the event and we had a fantastic turnout. We were able to get a donation of a 1,000 dollars from Industrial Construction Experts, INC. (I.C.E.). Another generous benefactor donated double the amount we raised after the event concluded, which was a tremendous surprise to all of us. The good citizens and businesses of Lee County came together to help Autistic children of Lee County and the Autism Society.
Autism Speaks was another sponsor that dedicated a lot of time and energy into finding solutions for the needs of people with Autism and their families. By finding solutions, they increase the understanding and acceptance of Autism and look into causes and better tools for Autism and related disorders. The Autism Speaks walk and Autism Speaks annual Light It Up Blue are two of the most significant fundraising events each year. Thousands of businesses will put a blue light bulb out to show their support every year in honor of the holiday. To show our support as a class, we put blue lights all around the classroom.
Autism Speaks Walk is powered by the loved ones and provides support for those with Autism. Autism Speaks states that “Every step taken and every dollar raised by supporters helps to enhance lives by accelerating solutions for tomorrow” Those that participate in the walk show their advocacy by taking action which supports the diverse needs of the Autism community. The efforts help generate funds that fuel innovative research and make connections to critical lifelong supports and services.
Raising money was not our primary task, but the Lee County High School AOHT team raised around 2,500 dollars for Autism Speaks. The primary goal was to educate, bring awareness to the community and change how the people of Lee County view Autism Spectrum Disorder. The event was successful and reached over a hundred people at Lee Senior High School. The event surpassed our expectations and extended into the community, reaching over 1,000 people.