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New Braunfels Middle School’s track was packed today at the second annual Any Baby Can New Braunfels Walk for Autism.
The fundraiser brought together participants and community partners to raise awareness of autism.
Any Baby Can serves families who have a child or youth with a chronic illness, disability or developmental delay. All services are offered at no cost.
Sharon Carlson, who works for the Comal County Tax Assessor, came up with the idea for a local autism fundraiser after her group, Kyngston’s Knights, became the top fundraising team at Any Baby Can’s 2019 Annual Walk for Autism in San Antonio.
Her son, thirteen-year-old Kyngston, was diagnosed with autism in 2014.
“As a parent, it is our job to prepare our children for the world, but as a special-needs parent, it is my job to prepare the world for my child,” Carlson said.
She wanted to give back to Any Baby Can, “which guided me when I didn’t know what to do or where to start.”
“So I decided it was time to bring the walk home,” Carlson said. “My goal is to help parents and their children by providing all the resources that are available to them, and provide them with education to help them and their children.”
Sponsors of today’s event include McKenna Foundation, Children’s Advocacy Center of Comal County, New Braunfels ISD, Comal ISD, New Braunfels Police Department, Comal County Sheriff’s Office, Kinetic Kids, The Rock Haus Foundation and other community partners.
In attendance were New Braunfels ISD Supt. Dr. Cade Smith, NBMS Principal Greg Huges, NBISD Special Education Director Nina Pugh, members of NBISD’s Special Education Department, staff from Comal ISD’s Special Education Dept, New Braunfels Mayor Rusty Brockman, Comal Commissioner Pct. 3 Kevin Webb, Sonja Chapa Weber for Texas Sen. Donna Campbell (D-25), and Tax Assessor Kristen Hoyt,
“We honored Commissioner Webb for being our champion since Kyngston’s Knights was created in 2014,” Carlson said. “He helped us with the proclamations for Autism Awareness Month and Autism Awareness Day since 2019. He also was instrumental in lighting the courthouse tower bell blue for Autism Awareness.
She also serves as a board member of Any Baby Can and chairs the Special Education Parents Advisory Committee. (SEPAC) of New Braunfels ISD.
All images by MyCanyonLake.com staff photographer Bently Paiz.
