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Autism Awareness Day flag raisings take place across Dufferin ahead of 10th annual fundraising walk

April 9, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Joshua Drakes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Several town hall buildings throughout Dufferin County recently held flag raisings to recognize Autism Awareness Day on April 2.

Among them was the Town of Orangeville. Mayor Lisa Post was joined by members of council, supporters, and advocates for a flag-raising and the reading of a proclamation declaring April 2 as Autism Awareness Day in Orangeville.

Despite the rain, which moved the event indoors to the city hall, dozens came out in a strong show of community support.

Mayor Post said it is an important goal for the town to remain an inclusive space that recognizes the autism community.

“The autism community is a very strong one in Orangeville and is continuing to grow,” she said. “It’s really important that any of the individuals in our community and their families who are living with ASD or supporting people with ASD know that the Town of Orangeville is an inclusive and safe space.”

“We’re constantly trying to improve our methods of doing things to make sure that it stays inclusive and accessible.”

In addition to Orangeville, town halls in Shelburne, Melancthon, Amaranth, and Caledon East also had Autism Awareness Day flag raisings on April 2. Local not-for-profit organization, Dufferin Child and Family Services, held one as well.

The Town of Orangeville’s proclamation was closely tied to the locally run Autism Walk, hosted by the Dufferin Autism Committee.

The group is preparing to mark the 10-year anniversary of its annual autism walk, a community event that has become a cornerstone of local efforts to promote inclusion, awareness, and support for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families.

“The group has been doing the walk annually for years,” Mayor Post said. “We’ve been recognizing it at town hall for years; it’s such an important proclamation that we do every year.”

Shelburne resident Karrie Daponte, who’s the organizer behind the Autism Walk, said that the committee’s primary goal is to provide critical support to individuals with ASD and their families.

“What we do is we support ASD individuals and their families through the whole process,” she said. “Right from diagnosis to getting funding applications filled out. We promote a lot of events, too. We’ll go to birthdays, school meetings, you know, really spreading awareness and increasing awareness, education and acceptance.”

Daponte said that they are grateful for the town’s continued support year after year, especially with their recent decision to reorganize into a fully independent charity.

“While this will be our 10-year Anniversary, it’s actually our second year on our own, because we’re no longer connected to another charity,” Daponte said, “That way the money fundraised here can stay locally in Dufferin County, which is really important for us.”

As in previous years, Daponte said they have annual ambassadors who will lead the upcoming Autism Walk.

“Today we also announced the ambassadors of the 2026 Autism Walk,” she said. “It’s our first sibling duo, actually. Brooklyn and Brexton Higgins. They both live with autism, one is an adult, and one is a child.”

The flag raising and proclamation were a strong signal of ongoing local support for the autism community in Orangeville and beyond, and with an upcoming Autism Walk on Sept. 27, there is hope for consistent turnout from last year’s walk.

For more information on the walk, go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/778434011234056.

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