Cooperative Link: Fall 2009

SPECIAL EDUCATION

WALK do2: Take a Walk for Autism Awareness

Sunday, October 4, 2009
Registration: 12 p.m.
Start Time: 1 p.m.

WALK do2 is a family-friendly walk to support autism awareness in South Central Minnesota. The WALK do2 will begin at Mankato West High School in the back parking lot and follow the Red Jacket Trail to Mount Kato. At Mount Kato there will be booths, activities and friendly faces to welcome you after your walk. T-shirts and food will be available to purchase. All walkers will receive a colorful bandana at the time of registration.

Families, teams, strollers and pets are all welcome to join in the fun. Suggested donation is $20 per person and all donations are tax deductible.

Funds raised from last year’s WALK do were used to hire Michelle Garcia Winner to train educators and parents of children with autism and development community awareness throughout Region 9 at the Verizon Wireless Center on Sept. 29 -30.

The Southern Minnesota Autism Coalition plans to use money raised from this year's walk to bring Project Lifesaver to Blue Earth County, and then to as many other counties in Region 9 as funding allows, with the ultimate goal of covering all nine counties.

Project Lifesaver is a bracelet system that would allow local law enforcement to more easily track wandering autistic children. The bracelets, which are similar to a large wristwatch, emit a tracking signal. When local authorities are notified that a child is missing, a specially-trained search and rescue team is sent to his or her last known location with a mobile locator. The signal can be tracked from one mile on the ground and 10 miles in the air. With it, rescue efforts are shortened to just minutes instead of hours or even days – a huge timeframe for a scared autistic child who cannot comprehend what is going on.

WALK do is sponsored by: South Central Service Cooperative (SCSC), Rasmussen College, ISJ Medical Center, Pediatric Therapy Services Inc., The Free Press

Registration is online at: www.southernminnesotaautismcoalition.org
For more information, contact Loree Brown at: (507)389-1425 or lbrown@mnscsc.org

> Next Special Education Article: Southern Minnesota Autism Coalition: Serving Region 9




SCSC News Calendar of Events *Programs and Services* Awards and Recognitions / AYP/School Improvement / Cooperative Purchasing / Health and Safety / Professional Development / Special Education / Wellness / News from the Center for Academic Excellence *Student Enrichment Programs* Chess Tournament / Knowledge Bowl / Math Masters / Science & Nature Conference / Spelling Bee / "Water is Life" Art Contest / Young Writers and Artists Conference Fall 2009 Issue Home Page Previous Issues of Cooperative Link Return to SCSC Home Page	SPECIAL EDUCATION WALK do2: Take a Walk for Autism Awareness Sunday, October 4, 2009 Registration: 12 p.m. Start Time: 1 p.m. WALK do2 is a family-friendly walk to support autism awareness in South Central Minnesota. The WALK do2 will begin at Mankato West High School in the back parking lot and follow the Red Jacket Trail to Mount Kato. At Mount Kato there will be booths, activities and friendly faces to welcome you after your walk. T-shirts and food will be available to purchase. All walkers will receive a colorful bandana at the time of registration. Families, teams, strollers and pets are all welcome to join in the fun. Suggested donation is $20 per person and all donations are tax deductible. Funds raised from last year’s WALK do were used to hire Michelle Garcia Winner to train educators and parents of children with autism and development community awareness throughout Region 9 at the Verizon Wireless Center on Sept. 29 -30. The Southern Minnesota Autism Coalition plans to use money raised from this year's walk to bring Project Lifesaver to Blue Earth County, and then to as many other counties in Region 9 as funding allows, with the ultimate goal of covering all nine counties. Project Lifesaver is a bracelet system that would allow local law enforcement to more easily track wandering autistic children. The bracelets, which are similar to a large wristwatch, emit a tracking signal. When local authorities are notified that a child is missing, a specially-trained search and rescue team is sent to his or her last known location with a mobile locator. The signal can be tracked from one mile on the ground and 10 miles in the air. With it, rescue efforts are shortened to just minutes instead of hours or even days – a huge timeframe for a scared autistic child who cannot comprehend what is going on. WALK do is sponsored by: South Central Service Cooperative (SCSC), Rasmussen College, ISJ Medical Center, Pediatric Therapy Services Inc., The Free Press Registration is online at: www.southernminnesotaautismcoalition.org For more information, contact Loree Brown at: (507)389-1425 or lbrown@mnscsc.org > Next Special Education Article: Southern Minnesota Autism Coalition: Serving Region 9	This newsletter is also available as an Acrobat PDF (3.0 MB) Free Acrobat Reader required for viewing.