The Youth Advisory Council will host an autism awareness night at Effingham County High School.

The event will be April 21 from 6:30-9 p.m. at the ECHS track.

Speakers at the event will follow an opening ceremony that will include a color guard and the national anthem. There will also be finger foods available and there will be a cakewalk and vendors at the event.

“Parents have been so involved in it,” said Cathy Zipperer.

There have been pictures of autistic children brought in that will be enlarged and matted, and other students will write on the matting for the children in the photos.

“I think it’s going to be a wonderful time,” Zipperer said. “The parents are excited especially the parents of the young children who have been diagnosed with autism because there’s no support system in Effingham County for them.”

She said there are more than 100 children in Effingham with autism. Zipperer said she hopes out of this event the parents will be able to organize a support group in the county.

 There is a dietitian and occupational therapist who will be at the event giving information.

Zipperer said she wants each of the autistic children to be partnered with a student to walk around the event with them.

She said she hopes a group does form from the event, and then the proceeds from the event could go to help that group. That way, the event could be held every year.

Zipperer said the event was put together quickly this year, but she believes it will be successful.

“Everything’s going to fall into place,” she said. “I would love for that track to be loaded down with people. How awesome would that be for the kids to know that that many people support them?”