Riverside, California (NAPSI) - Chances are that people you know and care about are among the estimated 54 million people living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other disabilities in America today.

Easter Seals invites you to join other families living with disabilities in its national signature event, Walk With Me. It’s all about heightening awareness around issues affecting the disability community while generating valuable support for life-changing Easter Seals services, which help people with disabilities to live, learn, work and play in their community.

How It Works

Individual walkers and teams join hundreds of others in their community for a day filled with fun, entertainment and purpose: to raise money for local Easter Seals services which impact the lives of children and adults with ASD and other disabilities. Every event is different—not just because of location and activities but because Walk participants at every event are partnered with an Honorary Ambassador, a local child or adult with a disability who benefits from Easter Seals services.

Who Is Helped

Funds raised through Walk With Me stay in the community to support local Easter Seals programs for children and adults with disabilities including Make the First Five Count^®, Easter Seals’ commitment to heighten awareness of the importance of early identification and early intervention services for kids at risk of ASD, developmental delays and other disabilities. Every year, more than 1 million young children with unidentified disabilities enter school with learning and health issues that put them far behind and have a lasting, negative effect on their ability to meet their full potential. Easter Seals, the nation’s largest nonprofit provider of early intervention services, wants to be sure that kids get the treatments and therapies they need before the age of 5 so they’re ready to learn alongside their peers with a foundation for success and achievement in school—and in life!

Who Walks

Walk With Me brings tens of thousands of participants together nationwide in nearly 50 local communities.

Honorary Ambassadors are joined at the event by friends, family members, Easter Seals staff, community leaders, local companies and representatives from Walk With Me national sponsors including CVS Caremark, Amway, CENTURY 21^® and MassMutual Financial Group. All share a common goal: to help bring Easter Seals one step closer to achieving its mission to provide exceptional services that ensure all people with disabilities and their families have equal opportunities to participate in their communities.

Step Up To Help!

• Anyone can participate!

• Register for a Walk With Me event in your community at www.walkwithme.org or call (800) 221-6827.

• Spread the word about the event through your personal social media channels or sign up to volunteer! You can make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities through support of Easter Seals!