Smiles, hugs and the support of a community rallying together provided all the warmth necessary on a cold, wet evening as North Bay celebrated World Autism Day on April 2 with "Light it Up Blue" at City Hall.
The North Bay community rallied together to celebrate, with musical entertainment provided by a local band, the Maple Hill Project, face painting, vendors, and a firetruck courtesy North Bay Fire and Emergency Services.
Blue floodlights bathed City Hall in a glow while the band played and people connected with each other.
“It’s amazing,” said organizer Mark Lyons, whose son, Jack is diagnosed on the autism spectrum. “This is our fourth year, and there was nothing like this in town previously to raise awareness and celebrate together. This is our family. We have each other’s back and it’s important for us to be here. Everybody in North Bay has been incredibly supportive.”
With mother nature providing a chilly evening, Lyons was doing a brisk business selling Light it Up Blue socks and mittens to help support the event and others like it. They can also be purchased at Carry-All Lumber on Seymour and Stockfish Ford Sales on Highway 17.
The Ardiel family drove up from their home in Sundridge to experience Light it Up Blue in North Bay for their daughter, Clarista, who is diagnosed on the spectrum.
“A lot of autistic adults get sort-of forgotten,” said Christa Ardiel, mother of the Ardiel family. “Clarista is 18-years old now and we wanted her to have that feeling of inclusion and acceptance. We’ve been talking about it at home and Clarista was very happy and excited. Promoting awareness and acceptance is important.”
Clarista, who is a double gold medalist in track and field at the recent Special Olympics, said she felt “happy and special” at the event, where she was enjoying a complimentary face painting.
According to the National Autism Spectrum Disorder Surveillance System, one in 66 Canadian children and youth (ages 5-17) are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, making it one of the most common developmental disabilities. According to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, approximately 1 - 2 per cent of the Canadian population is affected by ASD, which means there are approximately 135,000 Ontarians on the autism spectrum.
“This event is getting bigger and bigger every year,” said Lyons. “I get calls all the time from families with children on the autism spectrum and it’s all about supporting each other. It’s a realization that you have special needs and this is a change. It’s a minefield you have to figure out and it's huge for families. Everybody gets through it differently and awareness and support are really important.”
Hands the Family Help Network provided face painting and Carry All Home Building Centre on Seymour provided free popcorn to all attendees. An information and merchandise table was set up by local organization PLAYS, which works to provide youth on the autism spectrum and their families with equal opportunities to participate in activities and programs and to provide autism awareness and advocacy in the community.
April 2 was designated as World Autism Awareness Day by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007.
