Registration continues for Saturday’s Second Annual BiG Heroes Autism Fun Run and Walk, which is from 8-11 a.m. starting at Roloff Park in Laguna Vista.
The event offers medals to the top 10 finishers in 5K and 10K runs for women and men, a free one-mile fun run for kids under 12, and free race T-shirts in all divisions. As of Wednesday 248 had registered to run or walk in the event. Last year 278 participated.
Entry fees are $25 for the 10K run, $20 for the 5K run and 5K walk, and $15 for adult participants the one-mile fun run.
The first 100 kids who register for the one-mile fun run will receive a free HERO cape.
All proceeds benefit the BiG Heroes Inc., which provides post-high school learning experiences to young adults with disabilities.
Martha Gonzalez, BiG Heroes, Inc. executive director and founder, said the South Padre Island Police Department will lead Saturday’s event, with Cameron County constables also providing support. The route is along Beach Boulevard, from Fernandez Street to Broadway and back in Laguna Vista for the one-mile run, longer for the 5K and 10K events.
“We provide the necessary tools to help our members reach their maximum potential in life,” Gonzalez said of BiG Heroes, which recently seated an enthusiastic new board of directors. “We target three areas: Life skills instruction, job skills training and a health and wellness component because we want them to live long and healthy lives,”
BiG Heroes has members who work and attend classes at the organization’s location at at 814 Boca Chica Blvd. in Brownsville. Its mission is for young adults graduating from high school. The organization currently serves 22 clients from Harlingen, Laguna Vista, Brownsville and Los Fresnos.
“The population I’m serving, which is those that want to transition into the workplace, is on average 50-60 per school district a year,” Gonzalez said.
“We need help, we need funding and we need more teachers. Currently have only two, myself and another teacher that comes from the Laguna Vista area, but if we can find teachers that want to volunteer their talent to make it happen, retired teachers or recent graduates if they’d like to add something to their resume, that’s what I’m focused on.”
Gonzalez said her program teaches reading skills and money management “because the goal for our students is for them to be employed. There’s no promise for a job but we are trying to reach out to employers, small businesses that can take on our students, maybe one day a week, for our students to feel like they’re making a contribution to society and to their community. Inclusion for all. That’s the big message for today,” she said.
Packet pickup is from 5-7 p.m. Thursday at BiG Heroes, 814 Boca Chica Blvd., and 5-7 p.m. Friday at Laguna Vista City Hall, 122 Fernandez St.
Door prizes, information booths and other activities are planned at Roloff Park in an effort to spread awareness about autism.
Information on the event’s website states that autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism currently affects an estimated one in 54 children in the United States.
