Autism Speaks at Commack Middle School

Story By Brenda Lentsch, Photo by Regina Gleason

Blue was the color of the day on World Autism Awareness Day on April 2. Students and staff wore blue to “shine a bright light on autism as a growing global health crisis.” The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution in 2007 to “give a voice to the millions of individuals worldwide who are undiagnosed, misunderstood, and looking for help,” according to the Autism Speaks website (www.autismspeaks.org<http://www.autismspeaks.org>).  The most current statistics estimate that 1 in 68 children is diagnosed with a form of Autism.

Commack Middle School conducted a school-wide Autism Awareness Fundraiser.  The students sold bracelets during all the lunch periods in an effort to raise money for this worthy cause.  They sold the bracelets for $1 each.  “So far, the students have raised over $465.  There continues to be a high request for bracelets therefore the students will continue to sell the bracelets from their classrooms.  All proceeds will be donated to Autism Speaks,” stated Regina Gleason,  special education teacher at Commack Middle School.

In photo, from left to right: Paul Nadel, Eric Stucko, Daniel Conklin, Andrew Kowalski, and Megan Dougherty sell bracelets outside the lunchroom at Commack Middle School to raise funds for Autism Speaks.