96five Goes Blue for Autism Awareness Month

The 96five team and Romeo the Radio dog hit the Queen St Mall today along with Autism Queensland to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day, turning the shopping precinct into a sea of blue to raise awareness about people living with Autism, their families, carers and teachers.

Drive announcer, Scotty McDonald, MC’d the launch in the mall which kicked off Autism Awareness Month and Autism Queensland’s campaign “Go Blue for Autism”.

A blue inspired flash mob featuring dancers in blue morph suits captured the attention of curious onlookers and helped raise awareness of Autism– a condition that research shows affects one in 160 children aged 6 to 12 years.

People can participate in Autism Awareness month by dressing in blue, wearing a blue wig, or decorating their classroom, office or workplace in blue for the whole of April. Alternately, people can support Autism Queensland by selling or purchasing Go Blue for Autism merchandise, or organizing their own ‘blue-themed’ fundraiser like baking and selling blue cupcakes and donating the proceeds.”

There is no cure for Autism, but structured early intervention, therapy and education delivered by professionals with expertise in Autism can make a significant difference.

Autism prevalence in Australia is on the rise with the condition now more common than cerebral palsy, diabetes, deafness, blindness and leukemia put together.In Queensland alone, there are over 10,000 school aged children living with Autism.

Every school hosting a Go Blue for Autism event or selling Autism Queensland merchandise will go into the draw to win an Apple iPad.

The highest individual fundraiser will receive a 5 night stay in a 2 bedroom apartment for 4 people at the Turtle Beach Resort, Mermaid Beach in low season.The fundraiser must be a Queensland resident aged 18 years or more and registered to participate in the Go Blue for Autism campaign and must raise a minimum of $1,000 to be eligible.