Long Island figure skaters Jaclyn Urzia & Joe Penzel raise almost $11,000 for Autism

Long Island figure skaters Jaclyn Urzia & Joe Penzel helped to raise almost $11,000 for Autism this weekend. Jaclyn Urzia, a 17 year-old Massapequa resident, attends St. Dominic's High School, in Oyster Bay. She paired up with Joe Penzel, a Special Olympics Gold Medalist, and employee of Spectrum Designs, to skate at Cantiaque Ice Rink, in Hicksville, on Saturday, April 29. They performed a short program in honor of Autism Awareness month.

Jaclyn felt inspired to create this event and invited Joe to help her raise awareness not only about autism, but also to inform the community that autistic individuals like Joe, can have a regular job at a company like Spectrum Designs. Joe is an employee at Spectrum Designs, a non-profit company in Port Washington, which has an integrated workforce. Spectrum Designs was founded by Stella Spanakos, Nicole Sugrue, and Patrick Bardsley, to provide teens and adults with autism an opportunity to enter the workforce. "Providing these individuals with meaningful work allows them to build self-esteem and form working relationships with peers," explained Nicole Sugrue. Employees with autism, can work several hours a week, earn a paycheck, and have a purpose everyday of the week. Statistics show that over 80% of adults with autism are unemployed. Spectrum Designs was founded to improve that statistic and create options for adults with autism. Parents, like Fred and Wendy Penzel, are appreciative knowing that their child has an opportunity to enter the workforce, earn a paycheck, and build self-esteem.

(Photo: Jaclyn Urzia & Joe Penzel dance across the ice in their opening program.)
The pair opened the event with a very inspiring program - a polka that had a Broadway flair, on the ice. Their opening performance was followed by citations awarded to Jaclyn and Joe, from Nassau County Executive, Ed Mangano, to recognize their fundraising efforts. Nassau County Department of Parks and Recreation honored Jaclyn's request for their support by donating the use of the rink for this event.

(Photo: Co-founders of Spectrum Designs, Stella Spanakos, Patrick Bardsley & Nicole Sugrue with Jaclyn Urzia)
Guests at the event enjoyed the opportunity to skate with other supporters in addition to skating with autistic co-workers from Joe's job at Spectrum Designs.
The event promoted T-shirts produced by Spectrum Designs. The shirts displayed the slogan " Skate for Autism", and were randomly thrown out to the skaters to help promote autism awareness.

Sweet Treats of Oceanside, provided countless custom-made, as well as traditional, sweet treats for all who attended the event. "We are very pleased to contribute such a wonderful cause," said Sweet Treats owner and co-sponsor, Melanie Ciccone. Melanie brought an entire team to service the crowd with delicious dessert candies, cookies, custom-made chocolates and even cotton candy!
The founders and employees of Spectrum Designs together with families of the autism community are deeply appreciative of Jaclyn's enormous efforts in single-handedly organizing this event. Together with generosity of Nassau County and Sweet Treats, Jaclyn and Joe raised almost $11,000. They embarked on a journey, using their skating talent, to make others aware that over the next decade, more than 500,000 individuals with autism will be old enough to enter the workforce. With such a large number of autistic individuals becoming adults, job opportunities, like those provided by Spectrum Designs, are much needed. The next time anyone you know needs a t-shirt printed, encourage them to hire a company that provides autistic adults the opportunity to work, check out www.spectrumdesigns.org.

(Photo: Co-founder of Spectrum Designs, Patrick Bardsley skating together with employees of Spectrum Designs.)