Did you know: April is Autism Awareness Month! AS2YP Celebrates with Events All Month Long!

Did you know? April is Autism Awareness Month!

And AS2YP (Autism Speaks to Young Professionals) is doing its part to celebrate in Chicago. Are you?

I’m Tori Tasch, AS2YP’s Communications & Awareness Chair, and I’d love to give you a few ways to get involved this April. We have two fun events for you to attend and an awareness initiative that gets you spreading the word. Read on!

With 1 in 68 children affected in America, the cause is an important and relevant one. Autism Speaks spends the entire month raising awareness through its international campaign, Light It Up Blue – every continent and 101 countries participated in 2013; even the International Space Station lit up blue! Individuals and families also celebrate by switching out light bulbs in their homes, wearing blue throughout the month and changing their social media profile pictures.

This year, over 150 buildings in Chicago have already signed up to go blue including Willis Tower, the John Hancock Building, Water Tower and Trump Tower, some for the first time ever. Check out a picture of the Chicago skyline in 2013 for a preview of what’s to come!

For the third year in a row, the Chicagoland Chapter of Autism Speaks is also hosting a “Turn The Bean Blue” event at, you guessed it, The Bean on April 2^nd at 7:15pm. Wear blue and take in this year’s skyline on World Autism Awareness Day, recognized by the United Nations!

But you still haven’t told me – what is AS2YP doing?

We’re hosting our two biggest events of the year!

Join us first for our sixth annual Double Denim Bar Crawl (DDBC) on April 12^th. Bounce around Wrigleyville from 12-8pm with drink deals, fun contests and a ridiculous amount of denim attire.

Then, end Autism Awareness Month with us at Illuminate, our annual Light It Up Blue cocktail reception. This year’s event will be held at Block 37 on April 26^th from 7-11pm. Enjoy appetizers from Chicago restaurants, an open bar, Silent Auction and an After Party at Rockit Ranch’s Underground.

Show us what you’re doing to Light It Up Blue this April – use #LIUB and @AS2YPChicago on Facebook and Twitter. And let us know if you’d like to get more involved with AS2YP – we’d love if YOU were our newest member. Can’t wait to see you at Illuminate and DDBC!