APRIL 23, 2024
One day. One big impact.
April 23 marks Eden Autism’s fourth annual Day of Giving, an opportunity to come together to support individuals with autism during Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. Our goal this year is to raise $85,000!
Leading up to our Day of Giving, we’ll celebrate the children and adults we support by sharing stories from throughout Eden Autism Services. Join us for this year’s Day of Giving by sharing these stories or donating to support children and adults with autism. Every gift — from $5 to $5,000 — has the power to make a difference.
When you support Eden with a gift of $30 or more this April, you will receive an exclusive Eden mug!
Mugs will ship in May 2024.
Danny’s Story
“This is more than just our story. This is an Eden story. It’s Eden at its core — a group of people banding together to do whatever they can, whatever it takes, to support individuals and their families through good times and bad.”
Danny joined the Eden School when he was just six years old. He has grown up with
the support of Eden’s teachers and staff, who have worked alongside his family to help Danny grow into the strong, intelligent, and resilient young man he is today. Members of Danny’s family share their remarkable journey below.
Eden was there when we needed them most
A Message from Danny's Grandfather
My grandson Danny has been at Eden since he was six. We always felt at home at Eden, but over the past year we truly understood how much Eden is part of our family.
In March 2023, Danny was diagnosed with cancer. For months Danny was in and out of the hospital and physical therapy rehab. The unpredictability of his treatments upended our family and kept Danny away from his favorite place, the Eden School.
But during this difficult time the staff brought the magic of Eden to the hospital. Eden rallied around us. Danny’s current and former teachers came to visit. They stayed with him, allowing Danny’s parents precious moments to focus on themselves and Danny’s sister with the peace of mind that comes from knowing their son was being cared for by people he loved.
Eden has become an integral part of Danny's Blue Crew
A Message from Danny's Aunt
One of my fondest memories of my children growing up is the day they created Danny’s Blue Crew, our Eden Autism 5K team that runs and walks to support my nephew, Danny. My sister and I had taken my son, daughter, and niece to see the Empire State Building lit up blue for Autism Awareness Day. Dressed in blue from head to toe, waving glow sticks like party favors, these three little people cheered from the top of the world when the lights went blue. They celebrated their cousin and brother and, in the process, educated everyone they met about autism acceptance.
On the train ride home, my sister explained to them that Danny’s new school Eden was having a 5K run to raise money. Excitedly, they brainstormed the name of their team, quickly landing on Danny’s Blue Crew. The debate came when they had to design the logo, which they knew should be a smiling puzzle piece. But the real question was, what type of shoes would the puzzle piece wear?
