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Autism Society to benefit from St. Patty's Beatdown

The North Platte Telegraph - 3/22/2017

For the second year, a cage fight is going to make a big difference for the autism community.

The Autism Society of Nebraska will benefit from Midwest Championship Fightings St. Patty's Beatdown on Saturday night.

Last year, a donation from Midwest Championship Fighting allowed the Autism Society of Nebraska to offer specialized training to more than 100 law enforcement officers at the Police Officers Association of Nebraska conference.

Midwest Championship Fighting owner Russ Jones believes it's important to educate others about autism, which is why the organization was chosen to benefit from the event.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every 68 children have autism. Jones said he believes the understanding of autism is "in its infancy stage societally," and he believes it'll become a bigger - and, hopefully, better understood - issue in the future.

"In the meantime I believe in the education of responders who might misunderstand the condition and mistreat an autistic person based on [an] erroneous conclusion," Jones said.

Last year's donation also allowed some families with an autistic child to see a movie at the theater together. Theater sound systems can be difficult for those on the autism spectrum to tolerate, because they're often very loud. Rebecca Rossell, secretary of the executive board of the Autism Society of Nebraska, worked with the local theater to reserve a screen and show a movie with the volume adjusted for those in attendance. Several parents were in tears about the showing, including one whose high-school-aged child was able to see a movie in the theater for the first time.

Changing the volume may seem simple, but "for someone with autism, it makes a huge difference," Rossell said.

The autism community is bigger than people think, and often misunderstood.

"When you've met one kid with autism, you've met one kid with autism," Rossell said. "They're all so different."

Rossell said that while the Autism Society benefits financially from the event, it also puts autism in the spotlight just in time for Autism Awareness Month in April.

"The biggest goal is awareness and education," Rossell said. "We're trying to do as much as we can for families, educators and first responders."

The Autism Society of Nebraska will also be holding a raffle to raise extra funds for future training programs and family-friendly activities leading up to the fight. Raffle tickets are $5 and prizes include a $250Visa gift card, a Fitbit and a pair of Beats by Dre wireless headphones. The winner will be drawn during the Beatdown, but Rossell said you don't have to be present to win. To purchase tickets, call her at 532-7328.

Tickets are still available for the St. Patty's Beatdown at the D&N Event Center and can be purchased at Jones Law Office or by calling 534-2732. Tickets will also be available at the door. General admission is $20.

The gates open at 6 p.m. and the fights will begin around 7:30 p.m.