Spring Valley YMCA Family Fun Day Benefits Autism Speaks

The Freedom Valley YMCA Spring Valley branch, located at 19 W. Linfield Road in Limerick, will host the second-annual Family Fun Day, benefitting Autism Speaks.

The event will take place April 6, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

The A-Team, a grassroots, community organization dedicated to providing resources and support to individuals within the autism spectrum and their families, organizes the Family Fun Day.

“It’s a judgment free, fun place,” Lisa Rulli, who is on the A-Team committee, said. “We understand that a new diagnosis is especially overwhelming, this would be a fun way to look into resources.”

According to Rulli, the Family Fun Day will include 25 vendors providing information and resources to parents while their children may participate in a number of activities and games hosted by Spring Valley YMCA staff and A-Team volunteers.

Some of the vendors include:

• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
• Center for Autism Research
• 422 Sports Complex
• Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital
• Montgomery County Intermediate Unit
• Brian Mengini Photography, who specializes in special-needs photography

“There will be people there who will be able to help the kids,” Rulli said, adding that the vendors could also connect families with other people or resources. “That’s what a lot of it is, it’s networking.”

In her role as the Spring Valley YMCA Special Ability Programs director, Rulli helps develop programs for members with special abilities, and that the Spring Valley YMCA has been very supportive of the A-Team. However, she explains that the A-Team is not a YMCA-sponsored organization, rather a community one.

“We’re reaching out to the tri-county area,” Rulli said. “We’ll talk to anyone who will listen.

She said that the A-Team originally met out of the Spring-Ford School district, but had moved to the Spring Valley YMCA in order to reach more people. According to Rulli, the A-Team has approximately 70 parent members, some of whom are working professionals and members of the Spring-Ford School District.

The members meet once a month at the Spring Valley YMCA, and often invite a guest speaker, addressing such issues as fiscal planning to equestrian therapy.

The Family Fun Day will also feature various raffles and prizes from local businesses, as well as gift baskets, whose proceeds will benefit Autism Speaks.

Heading to the Family Fun Day, Benefitting Autism Speaks?

• Where: Freedom Valley YMCA, Spring Valley branch, 19 W. Linfield Road in Limerick.

• When: April 6, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m

• Admission: Free

For more information, visit the A-Team Facebook page or the event listing on the Limerick Patch calendar.