SeDoMoCha School busy for Autism Awareness Month
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
DOVER-FOXCROFT — An annual awareness effort throughout April continues in 2015 at the SeDoMoCha School with a number of events and activities promoting Autism Awareness Month. Activities include students and staff decorating light bulbs for a display in the lobby and the SeDoMoCha Helping Hands team taking part in the annual Walk for Autism April 26 in Bangor.
“We have a lot of fund-raising events we are doing,” said K-8 Day Treatment Teacher Andrea Philbrick-Cooper. She said last month a benefit craft fair was held across the street at the Morton Avenue Gymnasium with an estimated 16 vendors and artisans present.
An autism awareness ribbon
Philbrick-Cooper said table fees as well as a raffle of items donated by the vendors and artisans raised nearly $450 for the Autism Society of Maine through SeDoMoCha.
“We are doing many things in house,” she said. Showing such items around her wrist and on her shirt, Philbrick-Cooper said staff have made bracelets out of old T-shirts and “OT students have made clay puzzle piece pins.” She added that T-shirts are also available to the public to support SeDoMoCha Autism Awareness (these can be ordered through www.sedomocha.org).
“Students who are involved in DJs Cafe made over 100 whoopie pies,” which were then purchased by staff as another autism-related fundraiser.
“The walk is on the 26th this year and again we are having a SeDoMoCha team,” Philbrick-Cooper said. For the fifth year in a row, the SeDoMoCha Helping Hands, comprised of faculty and staff, students, families and members of the community, will be taking part in the 13th annual Walk for Autism at noon on Sunday, April 26 at the University College campus in Bangor.
“We certainly enjoy getting out with our kids and their families and celebrating together,” Philbrick-Cooper said.
The Walk for Autism — held rain or shine — is two miles long and is free for participants, many of whom walk for pledges to benefit the Autism Society of Maine. Registration and donations to the SeDoMoCha Helping Hands can be done through a link on the main page at www.sedomocha.org.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
ILLUMINATING AUTISM AWARENESS — All students and staff at the SeDoMoCha School in Dover-Foxcroft created a unique light bulb for Autism Awareness Month. A month of events for autism awareness will culminate in the SeDoMoCha Helping Hands team taking part in the annual Walk for Autism on April 26 in Bangor. Registration, pledges and donations to the team can be made through links at www.sedomocha.org.
Donors can choose to pledge contributions for individual SeDoMoCha Helping Hands team members who will be walking later in the month. In past years the team has had the largest amount of funds raised and the greatest number of participants of any single group at the various Walks for Autism throughout the state, and organizers are hoping to set new team records in 2015.
“We again partnered with the town office,” Philbrick-Cooper said, with Dover-Foxcroft municipal employees raising funds through Dress Down Days. “Then we have awareness activities we are doing.”
Philbrick-Cooper explained teachers are talking and reading books on autism to their students. Pupils in both the elementary and middle school decorated a light bulb in a unique way of their own choosing, and these light bulbs are being hung throughout April on the glass conference room wall in the main lobby around the words, “Light It Up for Autism Awareness and Acceptance.”
After returning from April vacation, students and staff will be encouraged to wear blue in support of autism awareness, acceptance and appreciation. Philbrick-Cooper said different blue articles of clothing will be worn each day with blue on the head for Monday, blue on the upper half on Tuesday, Wednesday has blue on legs, Thursday blue on feet and blue all over will be the theme for Friday.
“We are focusing on a lot of education,” Philbrick-Cooper said about the various activities for Autism Awareness Month.