Rockabilly Blues

Rockabilly is one of the earliest style of rock-n-roll music and emerged in the early 1950's. MADCap Blues hosted the event and our lovely Angellica Lemieux was our DJ for the evening. She kicked the evening off with Jerry Lee Lewis "I'm on Fire" song. That set the tone for the evening. After 15 minutes into the event, Magi McBride announced 14,000 lindens had already been raised.

Angellica Lemieux kept the Rockabilly tunes rolling with such artist as Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Brian Setzer, Arlen Roth and many more. The Blues for Autism kiosk kept climbing too. By the end of the night we had collected 66,340 lindens. Awesome Job everyone!!!

This was our third event of Blues for Autism 2010. We started the evening with 282,019 lindens donated so far.

Everyone was sporting their hottest rockabilly attire.

Autism is diagnosed in 1 out of 110 children today making it more prevalent than childhood cancers, multiple sclerosis and cystic fibrosis combined. But there is hope. Education and awareness are KEY. Thanks for your support!!!

by Leanna Chaffe

On Blue Bayou

Crawfish, big gators, moonshine stills & other smelly things, little gators, skeeters and a great group of supporters for autism awareness all joined together down On Blue Bayou. It was Sunday night and the gathering was the second in the Blues for Autism 2010 fundraiser events.

The gorgeous DJ Loriiii Shepherd was there spinning an amazing Zydeco, swamp pop and blues set from Buckwheat Zydeco to Fats Domino singing Hello Josephine, and much more. Loriii's show and the great party she helped create put supporters in mood to contribute to this worthy cause.

At a half hour into the evening, Magi McBride reported that total contributions had already reached L$19,895, but that was just the beginning. By the end of the evening, On Blue Bayou had raised an outstanding L$104,000.

 The sun was heading down, gators crawling in and a bunch of cajuns were dancing.

The amazing DJ Loriiii Shepherd spinning tunes for partiers

The crowd swelled with nearly 50 people attending the event.

As evening settled into night, supporters continued to contribute.

There were many reminders of what autism really is throughout the evening. Autism is a condition that can be disabling, but it can be treated. Families with autistic children face stesses that most of us will never know, and it's for those families that we donate and contribute our time. The Blues for Autism team expresses great thanks to the supporters of this campaign.

by Yordie Sands

The Blue Ribbon Formal

Last night was an amazing opening for this year's Blues for Autism fundraiser, it was the night of the Blue Ribbon Formal. The theme was blue and blue was in the air as the many BFA supporters arrived in colors.

Tippy Wingtips & Steal Hawker where the hosts of the event and received the couples as they entered the Black Rose Ballroom. Many of the BFA supporters from last year returned for this years opening event, but also there were new supporters especially from Team photoLIFE.

Angellica Lemieux was the DJ and once again she produced a wonderful music selection that could not have been more appropriate for the theme of the event and it set a relaxed atmosphere for the evening.

During the first hour, BFA founder Magi McBride announced the early tally of donations by guests, "L$63,561 Y'ALL ARE SO TOTALLY AWESOME". And that was a fabulous amount but by the end of the evening, Magi had an even more awesome report, "The ball tonight did: $L107,500."

Here are a few photos from last night's ball:

Early in the evening the attendence was already outstanding.

Nearly forty supporters arrived.

As the evening rolled in, DJ Ange while setting the mood for the evening with her music, she gave guests insights into the disorder that is called autism.

At the end of the evening, as the guests were leaving, Magi announced the great news about the total donations from the Ball, L$107,500.

Autism awareness and especially support for families with autistic children is the goal of the Blues for Autism campaign. In the weeks preceding the ball, there is always a concern about how things will go once the drive begins. However, with the generous mood of the BFA supporters last night it was a reassuring beginning. Great thanks go to all of the supporters.

by Yordie Sands

Autism Information

**WHAT IS AUTISM
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first two years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults on the autism spectrum typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.

Autism is one of five disorders that fall under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by “severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development.”

**PREVELANCE
Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, affecting an estimated 1 in 110 births (Centers for Disease Control Prevention, 2007). Roughly translated, this means as many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of autism. And this number is on the rise.

Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a startling rate of 10-17 percent per year. At this rate, the Autism Society estimates that the prevalence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade.

Autism knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries; family income levels; lifestyle choices; or educational levels, and can affect any family and any child.

And although the overall incidence of autism is consistent around the globe, it is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls.

**MOST COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTISM
Every person with autism is an individual, and like all individuals, has a unique personality and combination of characteristics. Some individuals mildly affected may exhibit only slight delays in language and greater challenges with social interactions. They may have difficulty initiating and/or maintaining a conversation. Their communication is often described as talking at others instead of to them. (For example, a monologue on a favorite subject that continues despite attempts by others to interject comments).

People with autism also process and respond to information in unique ways. In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present.

**KNOW THE SIGNS: Early Identification Can Change Lives
Autism is treatable. Children do not "outgrow" autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes. Here are some signs to look for in the children in your life:

* Lack of or delay in spoken language
* Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)
* Little or no eye contact
* Lack of interest in peer relationships
* Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
* Persistent fixation on parts of objects

by Magi McBride