Fast Facts:
– Mackinac Bridge officials will “Light It Blue” at dusk on April 2, with all costs paid for with private donations.
– Free public ceremony begins at 6 p.m. at the Kewadin Casino in St. Ignace; event includes games for children, entertainment, and food.
– “Light It Blue Michigan” is a month-long autism-awareness campaign.
-National campaign also includes such landmarks as the Empire State Building and the White House turning blue.
– More than 50,000 people have autism in Michigan and approximately 16,000 are children.
March 25, 2013 — The Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA), in partnership with Corner Pieces, DTE Energy, Kewadin Casinos, the Autism Alliance of Michigan, and the Autistic Children’s Treatment Network (ACT), will hold a ceremony at the Kewadin Casino in St. Ignace on Tuesday, April 2, in honor of Global Autism Awareness Day. A record crowd is expected.
“Light It Blue Michigan” is an autism-awareness campaign launched by Corner Pieces, a non-profit organization based in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., dedicated to improving the well being of children and families living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The Mackinac Bridge will be lit blue at sundown on April 2 for the entire month, to kick off this year’s campaign. More than 5,000 individuals have autism in Michigan; approximately 16,000 are children.
Michigan’s Lt. Governor Brian Calley, whose young daughter suffers from autism, is expected to speak at the event. Other speakers include: ACT President and MBA Board Member Murray D. Wikol; Dr. Colleen Allen, president of the Autism Alliance of Michigan; Anthony Ianni, a former MSU basketball player who has been diagnosed with autism; State Representative Frank Foster; and Ben Duff, founder of Corner Pieces.
ASD is a neurodevelopment disorder that affects a child’s ability to communicate and socialize with others. It usually appears within a child’s first three years. For more information, visit www.cornerpieces.org or www.lightitbluemichigan.com.
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