Middletown High School Senior Sara Peralta decided she wanted to make a difference in the community and her senior project has become an avenue to help her do just that.
Sara will host Strike Against Autism, a charity bowling event to raise awareness about the disorder and to benefit the national advocacy organization Autism Speaks.
The event will take place Saturday, Feb. 13, from 1 to 4 p.m., at Mid-County Lanes and Family Fun Galaxy in Middletown.
Sara said there are many families in the surrounding community that have been affected by Autism. She wanted to focus the project on educating herself and other residents.
“We don’t understand what these families go through, and we don’t really wonder what we could do to help,” she said. “If people come out [to the event], they’re not only going to have a good time, they can realize they’re helping a really good cause.”
Sara said she has worked since August to organize the event and has enlisted in the help of her friends and family to get local businesses involved in the cause.
She said a silent auction will take place and will include gift cards, discount coupons and merchandise from area restaurants and stores.
One person Sara turned to to learn more about Autism was Middletown resident Cathy Kanefsky, who works for Autism Speaks. Kanefsky’s 18-year-old twin sons Sam and Adam were diagnosed with Autism when they were 5.
Kanefsky said she was touched to learn Sara focused her project on Autism.
“The prevalence is growing and you really don’t go far without knowing someone who knows someone with autism,” she said. “It’s a crisis right now, and we need more people on board to raise awareness and generate funds that will lead to answers.”
Sara said she has learned much from her research on the disorder and working with Kanefsky.
“It’s helping me understand it more,” she said. “I didn’t know there are so many different areas and treatments involved or what families deal with on a daily basis.”
Sara was recently accepted to the University of Delaware, where she will major in Elementary Education. Thanks to this project, she plans to expand her interest in developmental disorders and focus on special education.
Sara said she has not set a monetary goal for Saturday’s event, but she would like to have at least 100 people attend.
“I hope everyone realizes what a great cause this is to support and how excited I am to bring this all together,” she said.
IF YOU GO
WHAT Strike Against Autism
WHERE Mid-County Lanes and Family Fun Galaxy, 875 N. Broad St., Middletown
WHEN Saturday, Feb. 13, from 1 to 4 p.m.
TICKETS cost $20 per person, which includes shoes, two games of bowling, a game of laser tag and a $5 game card to be used at Family Fun Galaxy. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door.
FOR MORE INFORMATION or to make a donation, call Sara Peralta at 376-0647 or email strikeagainstautism@yahoo.com.
