Chairman Diaz holds events to bring attention to Autism Awareness Month

At left, Commissioner Diaz addresses the audience at the Autism Awareness Month kickoff event. At right, Vice Chairman Oliver Gilbert III, Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz, Commissioner Raquel Regalado and Commissioner Eileen Higgins at the Autism motorcycle ride event.
(Photos by Armando Rodriguez and Godfrey Mead / Miami-Dade County)

MIAMI-DADE – Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz, along with the Dan Marino Foundation, Autism Speaks, and the South Florida Autism Charter School, hosted an Autism Awareness Month event on April 16, in the lobby of the Stephen P. Clark Center featuring an art exhibit. On April 18, the first Autism Awareness Motorcycle Ride sponsored by Chairman Diaz took place. Vice Chairman Gilbert III, Commissioner Raquel Regalado, the Dan Marino Foundation, Peterson’s Harley-Davidson South, the Cartel Baggers, and other motorcycle clubs, joined the motorcycle ride which had over 350 participants and raised more than $4,000 to benefit the Dan Marino Foundation.

The April 16 kickoff event featured an autism exhibit created by Miami Urban Contemporary Experience that consists of a multicolored 3D block display spelling out the word autism and a “Tree of Knowledge” mural with giant leaves highlighting facts about autism. Event participants were invited to write the name of someone they know with autism on an interactive leaf and add it to the tree. The exhibit will remain in the lobby of the Stephen P. Clark Center until the end of April.

Chairman Diaz sponsored the resolution that declared April as Autism Awareness Month in Miami-Dade County to increase autism awareness, treatment and encourage early testing for children in 2009.

“This year the cause is more personal than ever as two of my colleagues in the Board, Vice Chairman Gilbert and Commissioner Raquel Regalado have children with autism and the COVID-19 pandemic posed special challenges on their families,” said Chairman Diaz. “Since the motorcycle ride was very successful, I plan on hosting this event again next year during Autism Awareness Month.”

Chairman Diaz has hosted annual autism awareness events in the SPCC lobby every year since 2009, except for last year, when the event was canceled due to COVID-19.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that impairs communication skills and social abilities. There is no known cause or cure for autism, which is estimated to affect 1 out of every 59 children born in the United States.