GREENSBORO, N.C. — You might see teams of people walking or running in your neighborhood this week, and it's all for a good cause.
The Autism Society of North Carolina is holding the group's annual Triad Run/Walk for Autism virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The week-long event is bringing Triad families together to run or walk at their own pace, post their time and family pictures, and most importantly, pull together to keep the Autism Society of North Carolina's programs going.
"You don't have to go out and run a specific course," said David Laxton, who is the Autism Society of North Carolina's Communications Director. "You can pick your own course, you can do it on your treadmill, you can decide that you are going to lay on the couch and think about doing the 5K, but participate anyway this year and we encourage people to just join in and help their community," he said.
Courtney Chavis is walking with her 25-year-old daughter Kyla and team Super Novas this week.
Chavis has relied on the Autism Society's services since Kyla's diagnosis 22 years ago.
"One of the mistakes that I made early on was isolating. Sometimes, it was hard for us to go eat at a restaurant, so we would refrain from being out in public because of behaviors that were sensory-related and we were just learning how to deal with supporting Kyla," Chavis said.
Her best advice is not to isolate yourself. Chavis said you should gather information, get to know other families and embrace the change.
You can help families across the Triad any day this week by joining the Triad Run/Walk for Autism or by donating online here.
The Autism Society of North Carolina also has resources to help families here.