Project Lifesaver and Autism Awareness Extravaganza
The Roanoke Valley Scottish Rite was well represented at Roanoke's first Project Lifesaver and Autism Awareness Extravaganza held at the Roanoke Police Academy on Saturday, June 25, 2011. The event was sponsored by the Roanoke Valley Project Lifesaver and Greater Roanoke Valley Autism Action Group and showcased the gym and grounds of the Police Academy on Barns Avenue.
Among those displaying their programs and expertise were Autism Speaks, Commonwealth Autism Services, Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center, and the Virginia League of Therapists . Mona's Ark brought a pair of Llamas and a rabbit to entertain the children present and to demonstrate the use of animals in autism therapy.
The Scottish Rite Brethren spent the day blowing up helium balloons for the children's entertainment.
The high point of the day came when the Quam family approached the brethren to thank them profusely for the Scottish's Rite's support for the Radford Autism Camp and to tell them how much their boys were looking forward to attending the camp next week. The Quams were grateful for the improvement their older boy had experienced at last summer's camp.
Brethren attending were Kerry Campbell, Personal Representative to the SGIG, Dave Dew, General Secretary, Fred Dooley, Frank Bond and Bill Parks.
(Brothers Fred Dooley, Dave Dew, Frank Bond and Kerry Campbell at Roanoke's first Lifesaver and Autism Awareness Extravaganza held June 25, 2011 at the Roanoke Police Academy)
(Brothers Kerry Campbell and Dave Dew with Cathy and Jason Quan, whose sons, Justin, age 3, and Jason, age 6, were looking forward to attending the annual Autism Camp at the Radford Rite Care Clinic the next week)
(The Roanoke Valley Scottish Rite members were tasked with blowing up balloons for the many children who attended the Extravaganza. The brethren were admonished to quit blowing up the balloons and to just blow up the balloons)
There were several animals present to entertain the attendees!
