Wearing colorful tutus, bedazzled hot pink T-shirts and fairy wings, Phes Fairies gathered in the Meyer Amphitheater before Sundays Autism Speaks walk.
The group of about 35 brightly attired adults and children fluttered in support of 6-year-old Phoenix Hart, a dark-haired beauty wearing a long white dress and purple wings, who quietly tolerated the attention. Phe has a form of autism, according to her mother, Paulette.
The groups name and its frothy dress code came from Phoenix older sister, Payton.
I posted something on Facebook about the walk and three weeks later, we had raised $1,200, said Payton, 12, a student at Bak Middle School of the Arts.
Organizers estimated that more than 7,000 registered walkers would raise $450,000 from the event, held on a sparkling day along the downtown waterfront.
We had that many people last year, and it was a freezing 40 degrees, said Liz Feld, president of Autism Speaks. The weather this year is perfect.
Autism Speaks was founded in 2005 by Palm Beach residents Bob and Suzanne Wright shortly after their grandson was diagnosed with autism. In the years since, the group has become an increasingly visible advocate for autism research and awareness, as well as a clearing house for autism treatments and advances.
Suzanne Wright recently returned from an autism summit in Washington, D.C., where she led a group lobbying members of Congress.
I want this country to have a sense of emergency about autism, like we did for polio and AIDS, said Suzanne, who wore a white jacket appliqued with blue puzzle pieces, her organizations symbol. The prevalence numbers for autism are shocking. This is two percent of our children.
Bob Wright announced that Google has signed on to support a genome sequencing project that holds promise for autism diagnosis and treatment.
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West Palm Beach walk for autism draws thousands downtown