Community Corner
Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills Residents Walk the Walk for Autism
Nearly 1,000 enthusiastic walkers hit the streets to raise money and awareness.
For the fourth year in a row, nearly 1,000 walkers gathered on the steps of the auditorium Sunday to kick off the Walk the Walk for Autism. The event, a 3-mile walk through the streets of Hinsdale, raised money for Charlie's Gift, a non-profit that supports families and individuals living with autism and related disorders through counseling services, support groups, speech and behavioral therapy, and more.
Since it was founded in 2008 by Hinsdale Central staff and students involved with the school's Character Counts! program, Walk the Walk has raised more than $80,000 to support Charlie's Gift. This year's fundraising efforts added more than $63,120 to that total, with a variety of groups from Hinsdale Central and the Hinsdale area participating in the event. Team Vernick led the fundraisers with a total of $11,135; followed by Team SIJ from with $4,460; the Hinsdale Central football team with $2,555; Team CoHo from (where Charlie's Gift is based) with $2,140; and Brady's Bunch with $2,080.
Hinsdale resident Lisa Pollard walked with Brady's Bunch, which raised money in honor of her 5-year-old son, Brady. Lisa first heard about Walk the Walk last year. "I was asked by neighbors of mine if I would like to do the Walk last year," she said. "It was a wonderful experience and the beginning of a new tradition for my family."
Find out what's happening in Hinsdale-Clarendon Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
This year's Walk was just as rewarding for the Pollards. "My favorite part of the event is to see the community spirit of local Hinsdaleans coming together to show their support for autism awareness," Lisa said.
For more information on Charlie's Gift and how to offer support, or to learn more about autism, visit its Web site.
