“Out of this World” announced as theme for Freeman 5K & Annual Walk for Autism

Freeman Health System President and Chief Executive Officer Paula Baker announced today that “Out of this World” will be the theme for the Freeman 5K and the 16th Annual Walk for Autism.

For the third straight year, the events will raise funds that support program development and scholarship assistance at Bill and Virginia Leffen Center for Autism.

The mile-long walk and certified 5K will take place on Saturday, April 22, in front of Leffen Center.

“It’s really exciting,” Edie Spera, Leffen Center Director of Autism Services, said of the event. “We always look forward to this and the community looks forward to it, too. Everyone cheers each other on – it’s a lot of fun.”

Because April is National Autism Awareness Month, the walk and race are wonderful ways to educate the public about autism spectrum disorder. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that one in 44 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with the development disability.

More than 5.4 million adults in the U.S., or 2.2% of the U.S. population, are on the autism spectrum.