Tash Mahnokaren
Staff Writer
Idaho State University sorority Alpha Xi Delta will hold its fifth annual 3K/5K run for Autism Awareness on April 5.
The annual event began in 2009 in collaboration with Autism Speaks.
Since the initial run, Alpha Xi Delta has raised over $2 million in proceeds to go directly to Autism Speaks.
The event is typically held during the first weekend in April.
Participation fees for the 3K and 5K are $15 and $20, respectively, this year.
Participants will begin in the Quad and run a course throughout the ISU campus, ending back in the Quad.
Turnout for the run varies yearly with respect to weather, explained Tiffany Weaver, the event’s organizer.
During years when the weather is good, turnout can be up to 100 participants, whereas poor weather could bring that number to about 30 participants.
In conjunction with the run, Alpha Xi Delta also organizes other events as fundraisers for autism.
“We have a council of 14 girls, and we spread out all over the campus and city to talk to businesses and distribute flyers,” said Weaver. “We also table a few time a week.”
This allows the sorority to communicate with the students on campus. Alpha Xi Delta members also talk to other groups to get the word out about their events.
ISU’s chapter of Alpha Xi Delta was founded in 2005 with only 10 members.
The sorority now has 25 members in what is a close-knit group.
“We meet each week, get to know each other and spend a lot of time together. We also go to a lot of school events together,” said Weaver
“We do fundraisers and bake sales throughout campus and throughout the school year to raise money as well for autism,” she said.
“It is a great way to get the word out because they are all over the campus,” she continued.
In conjunction with the run, the sorority will also have guest speakers to speak on autism.
Speakers at the event are usually people who have had firsthand experience with autism or are impacted by it themselves.
The hope is to raise awareness for autism by educating attendees on the many facets of it.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 88 children is affected by autism.
Donations go toward educating individuals about what autism is, the prevalence of the condition and debunking common misconceptions.
The autism spectrum includes what was formerly called Asperger Syndrome.
A new diagnostic manual grouped all the autism disorders under the umbrella of what is now called the autism spectrum.Children with the disorder fall anywhere along that range.
Autism Speaks’ website says the organization hopes to raise awareness about what autism is, to find a cure for it, and to advocate for individuals with autism and their families.
Alpha Xi Delta hopes to continue raising awareness and funds for the cause through its 3K and 5K runs.
