300 Students Dance to Help Autism Cares Foundation

On a typical Friday night high school students are hanging out with their friends, playing video games, or going out for pizza. But some 300 local students with caring hearts decided it was more important for them to help improve the lives of other children, than to think only of themselves.

So, on Friday, March 29, they headed to the Council Rock High School North gym, bought blue T-shirts and danced the night away to raise money for the nonprofit Autism Cares Foundation (ACF). The tally donated was $14,000 from the school’s 12th Annual Rock-A-Thon fundraiser.

During dance breaks the students came out for refreshments; water, ice cream sundaes in the school cafeteria and smoothies provided by Smoothie King of Newtown.

For 11 years, ACF has provided special events, programs and life enrichment opportunities to children and adults with autism and other special needs in their families.

ACF Co-Founders Frank and Linda Kuepper were on hand, with several adults from the ACF programs, to show their appreciation for the event. They thanked the teachers, organizers and students for all of their support.

“Each and every one of you is an inspiration,” Frank Kuepper said. “Thank you for your wonderful dance event and for everything that you do.”

These students are dedicated to continue helping ACF. In fact, the ACF Club will hold a fundraising Car Wash from 10-2 p.m. on Sunday, April 28, at the Newtown Ambulance Squad, 2651 S. Eagle Road, in Newtown, PA.

Luke Costello, 17, the ACF Club President, said that the ACF Club and Council Rock High School North’s Student Government selected ACF as the recipient of money raised from the massive four-hour dance event. The students bought tickets for $25 each, and blue T-shirts for $5.

“We are so appreciative of the school and the community for supporting our effort to help Autism Cares Foundation,” said Luke Costello, a high school junior and junior class treasurer, with a strong commitment to giving back.

“We want to thank everyone who pulled this together for an awesome cause; it really has a major impact,” says Costello, who joined the school’s ACF Club as a freshman, shortly after it was started.

“I am passionate about Autism Cares Foundation because of all of the work it does for individuals who live in my community,” Costello said. “I have seen the faces of people who live with autism light up time and again at all of our events.”

Several smaller community fundraisers have already brought in $5,000, including $300 in donations from a recent basketball game, where the ACF Glee Club sang a heartfelt rendition of The National Anthem, and a recent fundraiser at Orange Theory in Newtown that raised $935.

“The student body and the community were really pulling for us, and we appreciate all of this,” says Costello. He wants to go to business school after high school graduation and continue to connect his work and life goals to ACF.

Three teachers at the school have been instrumental in helping the students planning this fundraiser: the club’s teacher-advisor Allison Marbo, daughter of ACF Volunteer Coordinator Renee Marbo; and teachers Michael Fink and Ben Battiste.

Battiste, a 10-year English teacher and 8-year as a student advisor, is proud of the focus on charitable events for the entire school. “Every event that we put on the money goes to charity, they vote on it, and get behind it. The students rallied behind it, and when it comes together like this one has it is very impressive.”

He said donating their time to an important cause makes them think about someone other than themselves, “makes them more well round and appreciative of everything that they have in their lives.”

Allison Marbo, special education teacher and the high school’s ACF Club advisor, is happy how the club has grown during the past three years, from just a small group to 100 active members.

“I am very proud of our students,” Marbo said. “It’s amazing to see how much we’ve grown in the past few years. As a teacher it is heartwarming to see all of these kids want to be involved with Autism Cares Foundation, which is such a special organization.”

For further information, please contact: Autism Cares Foundation.