by Jeanne Farago
3/27/2013

April is Autism Awareness Month. Autism Speaks does a light-it-up-blue campaign to raise awareness and to fund research. I have launched an initiative to have the entire town "Light it up Blue" for Autism Awareness. I have created a page where businesses as well as anyone else can donate to the Holliston Mass at www.lightitupblue.org

My goal is to raise $5,000 for Autism Speaks as well as bring awareness to my community. In addition to the fundraising page we are going to have a lighting ceremony on April 2, 2013 which is World Autism Awareness Day. It will be called  "Flipping the Switch on Autism"

At exactly 7pm on that date all the businesses in town will flip the switch on their blue lights and the lights will remain on for the remainder of the month of April.  Simultaneously as the lights are turned on, we will be releasing 88 Blue and White Autism Speaks Balloons into the sky infront of the Town Hall. The 88 balloons will represent the 1 in 88 children now effected each year with autism.

My son is 3 1/2 and was diagnosed at two years old with Autism, I want to ensure he grows up in a tolerant, undersatnding and aware community.

HERE’S HOW...

HOLLISTON LIGHTS IT UP BLUE IS A TOWN WIDE INITIATIVE INTENDED TO BRING AUTISM AWARENESS AND ACCEPTANCE TO OUR COMMUNITY,  APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH AND WE ARE GOING TO LIGHT OUR TOWN UP BLUE. EVERY APRIL AUTISM SPEAKS ONE OF THE LEADING FORCES IN AUTISM RESEARCH AND SERVICES ASKS THE WORL TO LIGHT IT UP BLUE FOR AUTISM AWARENESS. OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE HOLLISTON BE PART OF THAT CAMPAIGN. FOR DETAILS ON THE AUTISM SPEAKS “LIGHT IT UP BLUE CAMPAIGN”

PLEASE VISIT WWW.LIGHTITUPBLUE.ORG

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THIS HOMETOWN PROJECT

1. HELP US RAISE AWARENESS -  AS A BUSINESS OWNER WE ARE ASKING YOU TO CHANGE YOUR OUTSIDE LIGHTS FROM WHITE TO BLUE OR TO HANG BLUE LIGHTS ( HOLIDAY LIGHTS WORK WELL!) ON THE EXTERIOR OF YOUR BUSINESS. THE LIGHTS WILL BE TURNED ON ON APRIL SECOND ( WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY) AND REMAIN ON UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH. HOW COOL WOULD IT BE IF THE WHOLE TOWN DID THIS!!!

2. WE HAVE CREATED A PAGE FOR OUR TOWN AT WWW.LIGHTITUPBLUE.ORG. THIS IS A FUNDRAISING PAGE. WHAT WE ARE ASKING THAT BUSINESSES  PICK A PRODUCT AND DONATE A PERCENTAGE OF PROCEEDS OF THE SALE OF SAID PROJECT TO AUTISM SPEAKS UNDER OUR TOWNS NAME ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 

3. PLEASE GO TO OUR FACEBOOK PAGE PREFERABLY UNDER YOUR BUSINESS NAME (PERSONAL IS FINE TOO) AND LIKE THE PAGE SO THAT YOU CAN BE UPATED ON THE CAUSE.

YOU MAY DO ANY OR ALL OF THESE THINGS

IN ADDITION TO LIGHTING IT UP BLUE WE ARE PLANNING A TOWN LIGHTING EVENT CALLED  “FLIPPING THE SWITCH ON AUTISM”

THE EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE APRIL SECOND IN FRONT OF THE TOWN HALL.

THE EVENT WILL BE COVERED BY THE HOLLISTON REPORTER AND BUSINESSES WHO JOIN THE INITIATIVE WILL BE MENTIONED IN THE ARTICLE.

AT THE EVENT WE WILL GATHER AS A COMMUNITY AND ALL BUSINESSES IN TOWN WILL BE ASKED TO “FLIP THE SWITCH” AND TURN ON THEIR BLUE LIGHTS AT THE SAME TIME.

AT THE SAME TIME AS WE TURN ON THE LIGHTS WE WILL BE RELEASING 88 AUTISM SPEAKS BLUE AND WHITE BALLOONS INTO THE SKY TO REPRESENT THE 1 IN 88 CHILDREN NOW DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM EACH YEAR.

WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE SOME OTHER FAMILY FUN THINGS AS WELL SO LIKE I SAID PLEASE LIKE THE fb PAGE LISTED ABOVE TO KEEP UPDATED ON PLANS AND PROGRESS.

ALSO AS A SUPPORTER WE WILL POSTING YOUR EFFORTS AROUND TOWN AND SENDING LOCAL BUSINESS TO YOU BY NOTIFYING PAGE MEMBERS OF WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF RECENT SUPPORTERS EFFORTS

CASEYS PUB WILL HAS CREATED THE PUZZLETINI, $3.50 FROM EACH OF THESE COCKTAILS SOLD IN THE MONTH OF APRIL WILL BE DONATED TO AUTISM SPEAKS. THEY ARE ALSO LIGHTING IT UP BLUE.

COFFEE HAVEN WILL BE DONATING .25 CENTS FROM THE SALE OF EVERY BLUEBERRY MUFFIN SOLD IN THE MONTH OF APRIL TO AUTISM SPEAKS AND THEY ARE LIGHTING IT UP BLUE.

THE COSMIC SISTER WILL BE SELLING HOLLISTON LIGHTS IT UP BLUE TSHIRTS FOR OUR APRIL SECOND EVENT AND $5 FROM THE SALE OF EACH SHIRT WILL GO TO AUTISM SPEAKS, THEY ARE ALSO LIGHTING IT UP BLUE.

TRUE VALUE HARDWARE WILL BE CARRYING THE OFFICIAL AUTISM SPEAKS BLUE BULBS AND LIGHTING IT UP BLUE.

THE TOWN HALL AND THE HOLLISTON  FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL BE LIGHTING IT UP BLUE AS WELL.

PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING US IN BRINGING AUTISM AWARENESS AND ACCEPTANCE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND OF COURSE LIGHT IT UP BLUE!!!!!!!!! VISIT US ON FACEBOOK  AT HOLLISTON LIGHTS IT UP BLUE FOR AUTISM AWARENESS PROJECT.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS PLEASE CALL JEANNE AT 508-954-4738