February 6, 2016 | By: Kelli Zermeno
Categories: Family Support
Sharing Hands A Respite Experience (S.H.A.R.E.) serves families from the Permian Basin through respite care and support programs. Their programs are open to parents, siblings and extended family members at no cost. S.H.A.R.E. also provides workshops, parent and sibling groups, day camps, holiday parties, counseling and more. This organization started as a small church ministry and now serves twenty counties and hundreds of families, in English and Spanish.
In a couple of months, the annual Permian Basin Autism S.H.A.R.E. Walk will be setting up at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland! This is the 7th year for the walk. The walk will take place on Saturday, April 23rd. Registration begins at 8:30 am and the walk and activities kick off at 9:30 am. All of the proceeds from this walk will be used for S.H.A.R.E.’s operations and future growth.
The Autism Walk is the highlight of S.H.A.R.E.’s fundraising calendar. The founder of the walk, Malissa Roach, is amazed at the huge turn-out of community support the walk brings.
It is a ton of fun. Every year we choose a t-shirt design and wacky accessories for our team and gather as many members as possible. Team members host bake sales, garage sales, plate sales, sell walk t-shirts and do all sorts of fun activities to boost their team’s donations. Fun trophies are given out every year to the teams who raise the most money, have the biggest team, or the best t-shirts. The newest trophy will go to the best team pet mascot.
A fairly new addition the past few years is a trailer that offers many activities related to sensory issues. As any parent of a child with autism and other disabilities knows, meltdowns can be a common occurrence. The sensory trailer is loaded with the latest sensory-calming technology, including bubble tubes, light tubes, soft sounds, tactile blankets and more to ensure that the children we are celebrating are happy and comfortable at this event.
Every year the walk gets bigger and is more fun than the year before. Last year’s walk brought in over 3,000 walkers. A flash mob of superheroes and princesses entertained the crowd as DJ Reed Boyd kept the tunes flowing. Donations from local vendors allowed for all of the very affordably priced food sales to go to S.H.A.R.E. as well.
This year will be the biggest and best walk yet. Participants will enjoy free jumpers and inflatables, and lots of mascot and character appearances. There will also be music, horseback rides, video game trailers, healthy snacks and water and games. A resource fair with over thirty booths loaded with information on local services that help children with disabilities will also be offered. This is only the tip of the iceberg. New sponsors are constantly being added to the roster of supporters, adding even more fun, activities and excitement for you and your family to enjoy.
Registration for your team is free and there is no specific number of team members required. You may also register to walk as an individual. You are not required to fundraise, but once you attend this amazing event and see outpouring of support, you may be inspired to become a S.H.A.R.E. supporter too!
For information about registration, contact Malissa Roach at 432-818-1254 or [email protected]. For sponsor information, contact Blakeley Giles at 432-818-1255 or [email protected]. And for more events and resources in our area, take a look at our Find Services, Groups and Events page.
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