This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
Did you know that April is World Autism Month? During April, Great Wolf Lodge is teaming up with Autism Speaks and pledging to “go blue” in support of a more inclusive world for people with autism and their families through a month-long Blue Wolf Ears fundraising campaign.
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. We now know that there is not one autism but many subtypes, and each person with autism can have unique strengths and challenges. Most are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental influences. One in 59 children are on the autism spectrum.
Throughout April, the family-friendly indoor water park resort will offer a blue version of the brand’s signature wolf ears, available to guests for a minimum $5 donation to Autism Speaks. A limited-edition collection of 10,000 blue wolf ears were made for this event and will be available for purchase at all 16 of the company’s U.S.-based resorts.
All proceeds from the Blue Wolf Ears campaign go directly to Autism Speaks, with a goal of raising $50,000 to support its mission of enhancing lives across the spectrum at every stage of life. Last year alone, the non-profit aided more than 1 million people through Autism Speaks-funded programs and resources.
To increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism, Great Wolf Lodge is launching a social media campaign in conjunction with the Blue Wolf Ears effort. The company encourages guests to post a photo on social media of themselves or a family member wearing their blue wolf ears, using #GreatWolfCares. For each post using this special hashtag, Great Wolf Lodge will make an additional $5 donation to Autism Speaks, up to $20,000.
“We’re honored to have this opportunity to give back during World Autism Month and to help raise funds for a terrific organization like Autism Speaks. Our Blue Wolf Ears campaign is just the start of a long-term partnership with Autism Speaks. In the future, we hope to use their expertise to help guide us as we continue to explore ways to make our resorts even more welcoming for people with autism and their families.” – Erin Wallace, chief operating officer of Great Wolf Resorts.
For more information on Great Wolf Resorts and its brands of indoor water park resorts, please visit greatwolf.com.
Some images and logos are property of Great Wolf Lodge and Autism Speaks and used with permission.
During April, Lucille’s will donate Round It Up America contributions to Autism Speaks. This great in which Guests dining at 22 participating Lucille’s locations throughout Arizona, California, and Nevada, are provided with the option to “round up” their purchases to the nearest dollar, which are then donated to Autism Speaks.
Team members at Lucille’s restaurants will wear buttons and blue beads, the color of Autism Speaks, to show their support. Tabletop signage will share information about autism and Autism Speaks.
During the month of April, Lucille’s will also be serving up a ‘Blueberry and Basil Margarita,’ a blue drink inspired by the color of Autism speaks, that combines El Jimador Reposado Tequila, fresh basil, vibrant blueberries and is then hand-shaken with agave nectar and fresh lime juice. For each drink sold, Lucille’s will donate an additional $1 towards their final donation to Autism Speaks.
Last year, Lucille’s two Las Vegas restaurants raised about $2,000 for Autism Speaks. This year, Lucille’s hopes to raise more than $30,000 to help the nonprofit organization support research into the causes and better interventions for autism. Lucille’s is thrilled to work with Lucille’s on a larger scale this April. This fundraising campaign helps to ensure that children and adults with autism have access to reliable information and services throughout their lives.
If you’d like to join in on the efforts to raise money for this great cause, you can do soo by heading over to your local Lucille’s location. It’s easy to give back while enjoying a meal with your family. Remember to do so before the month of April ends!
