Montgomery Leadership Program students and Mississippi State University’s Jigsaw Club come together this month to host a fun-run and 5k raising awareness for autism.
Exceptionally Aware is organized by Montgomery Leadership Program students Molly Jobe, Kaitlyn Salter and Anne Claire Craig who united to create a joint capstone project aiming to raise awareness to MSU students living with a disability.
Exceptionally Aware is comprised of two parts. Jobe, junior special education major, said the event begins at 5 p.m. with a Disability Awareness Fair.
“Houston Everett, an MSU student, will be speaking on life with a disability, and there will various activities to help students better understand what it’s like to have a disability and maneuvering around campus,” Jobe said. “And then right after, there will be a one-mile fun-run and a 5k. That is called Superheroes for Autism; it is to raise funds for Jigsaw, which is a summer camp that high school and college age students go to.”
Alex Orsak, junior communication major and president of Jigsaw Club, said Jigsaw is a campus organization aimed at integrating students falling on all sides of the autism spectrum with the rest of campus.
“Jigsaw, the campus group, we have a different age range. It’s open to any one, but we have college students on and off the spectrum,” Orsak said. “It’s about integration; it’s about helping those students who do have some kind of autism spectrum disorder get integrated with socializing with people on campus and those who are not on the spectrum. It’s about learning both sides … it’s about becoming more sociable and about having a community. We have stuff like movie nights, lunch and bowl and social time.”
Orsak said the campus run specifically aims to raise funds for the Jigsaw summer camp, which shares similar goals with the Jigsaw Club.
“There is Jigsaw MSU which is the campus organization and there is Camp Jigsaw, and we’re connected,” Orsak said. “Camp Jigsaw is a little different, because it’s for teenage boys with Asperger’s syndrome and other forms of autism. Basically, we’re raising funds so they can come to camp for free.”
Anyone interested in sponsoring the run can have their personal or company name placed on the back of the race’s official T-shirt with a donation of $150 or greater.
The Superheroes for Autism run will be held March 21 in front of the Colvard Student Union.
Those interested in participating in the run may register at active.com, or by printing off a registration form from the Exceptionally Aware website at facebook.com/exceptionallyaware.
Registration forms and fees may be mailed in, or dropped off at Drill Field station March 5, 19 or 20.
Any non-runners interested in participating have the opportunity to host a cheer station comprised of five to 10 people. Forms can be found on the website.
Jobe said everyone participating in the race should come dressed as their favorite superhero.
Orsak said he encouraged everyone to come out and be an advocate of autism awareness.
“Come support autism, and come support Camp Jigsaw. We have lots of kids that want to come back for a fourth consecutive year,” Orsak said.