The annual Hoosick Falls Kiwanis Autism Walk took place on Saturday, May 2, starting and ending at the HAYC3 Armory. Goals for the walk are to raise awareness of the rise in autism rates, to try to erase the stigma that is attached to the disorder, and to raise funds for research.
All of the proceeds that were raised were donated directly to Autism Speaks, an organization whose goal is to change the future for all who struggle with an autism spectrum disorder. Autism now affects one in 68 children nationwide; boys are four to five times more likely to have it than girls. It is the fastest growing developmental disorder in the country, prtly because it is better understood and more often recognized and diagnosed. The walk, which attracted considerably more participants in its second year, was sponsored by the Hoosick Falls Kiwanis Club and organized by their president Wendy Larson and member Maria Rousseau.
