Walk for Autism Speaks kick off Sunday

250 autism supporters will attend the Kick Off to Los Angeles Walk Now for Autism Speaks to share stories of hope, celebrate the upcoming walk, and to learn about new autism research the fundraising event is supporting. The Kick Off to Los Angeles Walk Now for Autism Speaks will take place Sunday, February 21, 2010 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Pasadena Rose Bowl, located at 1001 Rose Bowl Drive in Pasadena.

Celebrity autism supporters and Kick Off attendees include actress Holly Robinson Peete, who will be presenting an autism monologue on hope, and actor Terrell Ransom, Jr., who portrays an autistic child on Days of Our Lives.

The event will feature four personal autism monologues in support of Walk Now, information on Autism Speaks and Walk Now, and fundraising stations and a brief presentation providing fundraising ideas to help people gain support for the cause.

The Kick Off will also include a talk by Weatherstone Fellows Elaine Hsaio and Paul Patterson, scientists funded by Autism Speaks at California Institute of Technology, who will discuss their autism research efforts.

Los Angeles Walk Now for Autism Speaks will take place at the Pasadena Rose Bowl, Saturday, April 24, 2010. Walk Now for Autism Speaks is North America’s largest grassroots autism walk. For more information, go to http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org.

ABOUT WALK NOW FOR AUTISM:
The 8th annual Walk Now for Autism Speaks 2010 event will take place April 24, 2010 in Pasadena. Last year’s walk hosted 17,000 people and raised 1.27M at the Pasadena Rose Bowl.

ABOUT AUTISM SPEAKS:
Autism Speaks is the world's largest autism advocacy organization, dedicated to increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders, funding research into the causes, prevention and treatments for autism, and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.

ABOUT AUTISM:
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), autism now affects 1% or 1 in every 110 American children, including 1 in 70 boys. Autism is a complex condition that affects a person’s ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by behavioral challenges.