School raises autism awareness with dance

Eastlake Middle School will be hosting its 10th annual Autism AwareNESS Dance on April 13 to raise money for autism research and help students learn more about living with autism.

The event is a 12-hour dance marathon made up of students from grades six to eight. Students will dance and remain on their feet from noon until midnight without sitting down or resting.

Principal Colleen Blaurock said that the goal is to raise $14,000. In order to participate in the dance marathon, students must raise a minimum of $75 and commit to all 12 hours of the event.

“It is the event, I will say, that every kid looks forward to,” she said. “And it is amazing. Eastlake Middle School is an amazing place because we have, obviously, a couple autism units and our kids are so supportive and nurturing and kind.”

The annual dance event has raised $104,000 to date, in support of the International Center for Autism Research at Case Western Reserve University, Share A Vision and other autism programs in Northeast Ohio.

Blaurock added that the dance marathon features talks by families and individuals living with autism to help students learn about their experiences.

“Speakers come at various points (during the dance) to talk about what it’s like to live with autism,” Blaurock said. “There’s pizza and pop and a DJ, and the kids love it.”

The event also features a parental “morale team” to help motivate students to make it through the dance marathon.

Admission to the AwareNESS dance is $1 for children, $5 for adults and free for children under age 5.