STAC to Host Zumba For Autism Event to Raise Money for Ability Builders

(Sparkill, NY—April 10, 2016) – St. Thomas Aquinas College will host Zumba for Autism, an event to raise money for Ability Builders, a local organization which serves children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the Aquinas Hall Gymnasium at the College. The event, planned as part of Autism Awareness Month, is being sponsored by members of the Rockland County Chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children. The registration fee for the event is $15 and it is open to the public.

Ability Builders is a non-profit organization based in Highland Falls (NY). It provides services to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental disabilities. Through this event, members of the Council for Exceptional Children hope to raise money to sponsor children for the organization’s social climbers club. Participants in this program learn vital social and communication skills needed for success in life. Many families with children participating in the summer program find that they cannot afford the year-long program. Monies raised at the event will support local families with the cost of the program.

Beatriz Pelletier will be the Zumba instructor. She instructs Zumba at the United Methodist Church in Orange County (NY). Participants can also buy raffle tickets that will be entered into a drawing for prizes which include gift certificates to local restaurants and other prizes.

The Council for Exceptional Children is a national organization whose mission is “to improve, through excellence and advocacy, the education and quality of life for children and youth with exceptionalities.” The Rockland County Chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children is a student organization, which includes students from St. Thomas Aquinas College and Dominican College (Blauvelt, NY). The chapter organizes professional development opportunities and events aimed at raising awareness.

For more information and to preregister for the event please contact Alexandra Graziano at agrazian12@stac.edu.

St. Thomas Aquinas College is an independent liberal arts college located on 60 acres in Rockland County, NY which provides education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The College’s 2,800 full and part time students can choose from more than 100 different majors, minors, specializations, and dual degree programs across three Schools: Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education. The College is recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the Top-Tier for Regional Universities, by Colleges of Distinction in both its New York and Catholic editions, by Affordable Colleges Online as a top College in New York for Return on Investment, and is included as aMilitary Friendly School®. St. Thomas Aquinas College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; its School of Education is accredited by National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); and its School of Business is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). For more information, visit www.stac.edu.