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| The tenth annual Autism Awareness and Acceptance event is hosted by UMass Medical School, UMass Memorial Health Care and Autism Resource Central. |
The annual Light it Up Blue Autism Awareness and Acceptance Celebration for Central and Western Massachusetts will take place in the Albert Sherman Center at UMass Medical School on Tuesday, April 2, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Activities, refreshments and entertainment will culminate in blue illumination of the medical school façade at 7:45 p.m.
Light It Up Blue is an international event dedicated to raising awareness about autism each year on World Autism Day. Since 2010, the Shriver Center for Developmental Disabilities and the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at UMass Medical School have joined with thousands of institutions and individuals across the globe to shine bright blue lights in honor of the millions of individuals and families affected by autism.
Family-friendly activities at the event, which is free and open to the public, include drumming, performance by Berkshire Hills Music Academy, karate, arcade games, a sensory obstacle course, face painting and more. Representatives from community agencies will be on hand to provide information about the services they offer.
Focusing on safety for children with autism spectrum disorder, the UMass Police Department will have fingerprint and identification kits available for families attending the event. Officers from local first responder agencies, as well as canine members of the Worcester Police Department K-9 unit, will also be on hand to meet with families and friends. Visitors will have the opportunity to be photographed with first responders, and tour police cruisers and emergency response vehicles.
All are invited to attend. Learn more at https://shriver.umassmed.edu/liub.
