Make the First Five Years of Life Count for Kids by Joining Eastser Seals Walk With Me in Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. - Sept. 23, 2014 - PRLog -- Today, Easter Seals Florida announced plans for its annual Walk With Me event and fundraiser, scheduled for Saturday morning at 9:00am, October 25, 2014. The 2.2 mile fitness walk and/or run will unite hundreds of Tampa area participants at MacFarlane Park to raise funds for young kids with disabilities, drive awareness of issues affecting the disability community, and change the lives of individuals and families living with disabilities.

Help Kids Get the Best Start in Life
Every year, more than one million young children with unidentified disabilities—including autism—enter school with learning and health issues that put them far behind their peers and have a lasting, negative effect on their ability to meet their full potential. That’s why this year’s Walk With Me event is focused on Make the First Five Count®--to talk about early identification and early intervention services so that children at risk of developmental delays, disabilities or autism get the support they need. When kids get the right treatment and therapy they need before the age of five, they are ready to learn alongside their peers, build lifelong skills and achieve their dreams.

Registration for this year’s Walk With Me is now available at either www.WalkWithMe.org/Tampa or by calling 813.769.5923. Every individual and team participant will have an opportunity to meet and walk with an Easter Seals Honorary Ambassador, a child or adult with a disability directly benefiting from Easter Seals’ local programming.

Elijah, one of this year’s Honorary Ambassadors, was diagnosed under the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at the age of 3. After receiving speech and occupational therapy to help with his gross and fine motor skills, he went from pointing and throwing outrageous tantrums to saying "please, cup, and mommy." After 5 years working with therapists at Easter Seals, Elijah is now on level in all academic areas in school. "I am 100% sure that he is excelling because of early intervention and the services at Easter Seals,” said Elijah’s mom.

Here’s how you can help:

1) Register for Walk With Me at www.WalkWithMe.org/Tampa to raise awareness and funds around Make the First Five Count

2) Learn what every parent needs to know about their child’s development and where to go for help at MaketheFirstGiveCount.org

3) Encourage parents and caregivers to track their young child’s development by taking the Ages and Stages Questionnaires® online survey at MaketheFirstGiveCount.org/ASQ

4) Share Easter Seals’ messages about the importance of early intervention with five family members or friends via Facebook www.facebook.com/EasterSealsFlorida or Twitter @EasterSealsFL

About Walk With Me

Easter Seals Walk With Me is a national fundraising event to raise awareness and support for families living with disabilities! Individual walkers and teams join hundreds of other passionate people in their communities for a day full of entertainment, fun and, of course, our signature walk! Since 2003, over 150,000 people have participated in 500 Walk With Me events nationwide generating over $30 million to support families at Easter Seals. This year, you can help Easter Seals accomplish even more! For additional information about how to get involved visit www.walkwithme.org/Tampa .

About Easter Seals Florida

Easter Seals Florida is a non-profit organization that provides exceptional services to ensure that people of all ages with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities, throughout the state. For more information on Easter Seals Florida, please visit www.fl.easterseals.com