Light It Up Blue for Autism

Downtown buildings help raise autism awareness

Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch -- Windows of the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center are seen lit up blue in recognition of International Autism Awareness Day on Thursday, April 2, 2015, in downtown Huntington.

Friday, April 3, 2015

HUNTINGTON — Across the world, people were "lighting it up blue" Thursday for World Autism Awareness Day. For some, that meant just wearing blue, but the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center and the West Virginia Building both lit up 4th Avenue, shining awareness on Huntington. To read more, click here: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x2147432270/Downtown-buildings-help-raise-autism-awareness

HISTORY: The United Nations General Assembly designated April 2nd as World Autism Awareness Day starting in 2008 and their members were encouraged to take measures to raise autism awareness.

In 2010, Autism Speaks, the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization, launched its “Light It Up Blue” campaign and invited everyone to participate in raising awareness about autism with its accompanying health concerns by shining a blue light on World Autism Awareness Day. Individuals were encouraged to participate by replacing their regular porch lights with blue bulbs to raise awareness in their local communities. This initiative made it to Facebook and was embraced worldwide. In 2012, Autism Services Center joined this global initiative by lighting up their main office in the Keith Albee Building in Huntington and continues to do that every year.

In 2015, there were 18,602 buildings in 142 countries on 7 continents that joined this campaign. To view a video or photos of other structures from around the world participating in the Autism Speaks’ Light It Up Blue campaign, click here: https://www.autismspeaks.org/news/news-item/global-landmarks-light-it-blue-world-autism-awareness-day-2015 or https://www.autismspeaks.org/liub?gclid=CLXO7vmfrcUCFZIdgQodXyoAvg.