Millburn Lights Up Blue for Autism Awareness

The Millburn High School Autism Awareness Club encouraged Millburn residents and businesses to “Light It Up Blue” on Tuesday, April 2 by placing blue light bulbs in exterior light fixtures and participate in the annual World Autism Awareness Day.  

Many hotels, sporting venues, concert halls, museums, houses of worship, bridges and retail stores, along with homes across the world, will light up in blue, the official color of autism awareness.  

Paper Mill Playhouse has already put blue lights up early in the day. 

Have you seen any businesses with blue light bulbs in their exterior lighting fixtures? Residents and businesses, upload your photos here! 

The Light It Up Blue campaign kicks off Autism Awareness Month, a global initiative held every April to raise awareness, knowledge and understanding of the issues affecting those with Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

Representatives from the MHS Autism Awareness Club distributed official Autism Speaks Blue 25-Watt bulbs on Saturday, March 30 in front of Walgreen’s. Club members were also on hand at the March 19 Millburn Township Committee meeting to accept the mayor’s proclamation that April is Millburn Autism Awareness Month.

Other club activities during Autism Awareness month include decorating the school in blue, raffling off the principal’s parking space for a week, holding a “Wear Blue to School Day,” and reading facts about autism each morning during the high school’s daily announcements.

The club was formed this year to raise awareness for those with autism and to raise funds for Autism Speaks, an advocacy and scientific research organization dedicated to funding research into causes, prevention and treatments for autism and to increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders. 

 The club has had several other awareness and fund raising activities this year, including a recent dance-a-thon held collaboratively with the MHS Dance Club on March 16, a raffle for a basket of Millburn business gift certificates during the annual MHS Battle of the Classes, and a blue candy cane sale during the December holidays.