'Best Pals' Raise Funds During Autism Awareness Month

Submitted by Long Beach Schools

In observance of Autism Awareness Month in April, Long Beach High School supported efforts coordinated by the Best Pals extracurricular club.

The organization facilitates initiatives that connect general education students with those in the Life Skills program. The club’s objective is to provide socialization events and activities for students in the Life Skills program, which serves a large population of teens with autism. Throughout April, students sold T-shirts to help fund these efforts, which include holiday parties, yoga and Zumba workshops. They raised more than $1,500 to benefit their mission.

The T-shirts were designed by student Armano Nunez and printed by Spectrum Designs Foundation, a nonprofit apparel production company that provides employment opportunities to individuals with autism. The Life Skills and Best Pals teams worked together to sell, package and distribute purchased T-shirts to staff members throughout the district.

Students also decorated puzzle pieces representative of autism awareness. The individual pieces were connected to create a puzzle banner that was displayed in the commons area. These efforts promoted acceptance and respect among all students and further instilled in them the International Baccalaureate qualities of being caring and open-minded young adults.

More on Patch:

• Police: Naked Man Waved Machete at People in Costco Parking Lot
• Police Seek Man Who Stole Islanders Glove at End of Game
• Wow Houses of the Week
• East Hampton Airport Noise Curfews on Hold
• Cops Seek Man in East Rockaway Bank Robbery
• Billy Crystal Grabs a Bite at the Laurel Diner
• Get Patch’s Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts