Earlier this spring, students and staff from the Ross Medical Education Center Grand Rapids North campus attended the 3rd annual Autism Awareness Walk hosted by Hope Network. This exciting event was once again a hit and included a walk across the Blue Bridge in Grand Rapids to support those in the area with autism and their families. It is also a very valuable time to educate the surrounding community about autism.
“Our students and staff enjoyed the presentation of Hope Network volunteers and educated ourselves on Autism and how it impacts the community,” shared Campus Director Amira Curic. “We are proud to support this event, as well as many others in future, as we learned that children in United States get diagnosed with Autism every 20 minutes. We are here to support our community and help next generations live healthy, happy lives.” Nearly 1,000 people agreed, coming out to walk in the event and show their support for the autism community in the area.
The walk was a success, but to get the most out of April’s Autism Awareness Month, Hope Network also partnered with the Grand Rapids Public Museum to host a free sensory-friendly evening for children in the community with autism as well as their families. The event was hosted right after the Bridge Walk and opened the wonders of the museum to these important members of the Grand Rapids community. The museum worked hard to change the lighting, sounds, and activities with those with autism in mind.
“The walk for autism was a heartwarming experience that showed how we all can come together to raise awareness for such an important cause,” said Rene Helderman, Admissions Representative at Ross in Grand Rapids. “The outpour of support in our community really encouraged me to personally become more informed and conscious of autism and how it affects everyone involved. I appreciate the opportunity to participate and I look forward to future events to support the cause.”