Saturday's Race to Benefit Autism Center

Put on your racing shoes.

This Saturday, WindMark Beach will host a 10K race and 1 mile fun/run walk, with proceeds benefiting the Growing Minds Center in Port St. Joe.

The center, founded this August by board certified behavior analyst Christine Hermsdorfer, serves children with autism, a communication and social disorder that affects 1 out of 150 births.

Race registration begins at 7:30 a.m. (ET) at the WindMark Beach town center.

The 10 K race, which follows a scenic path along the old Hwy. 98, and 1 mile fun run/walk, which winds through the subdivision, will begin at 9 a.m.

First, second and third place winners in several age divisions will receive medals.

Entry fees are $20 for the 10K race and $10 for the fun run/walk. The first 100 entrants will score free T-shirts.

Following the event, Sarah Gaskin will play live music in the town center.

The Growing Minds Center is housed in the Long Avenue Baptist Church nursery facility in Port St. Joe.

Hermsdorfer and Stephanie Petrie, who has a bachelor's degree in psychology, provide individualized instruction using a therapy called Applied Behavior  Analysis (ABA.)

Those with autism commonly have difficulties with social interaction, communication and speech; highly restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior; and a high resistance to slight changes in routine.

ABA teaches social, motor, verbal and reasoning skills, using positive reinforcement, or prompting. The overall goal of the therapy is to help students become as independent as possible.

The center currently has an enrollment of five students, with three students on a waiting list.

Hours are Mondays through Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m., and Mondays, Tuesday and Thursdays, 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Proceeds from the race will enable the center to extend its hours and serve more children.

For more information about the race or the Growing Minds Center, contact Christine Hermsdorfer at (850) 227-4392.

Download an early registration form from the following websites:

www.active.com

www.growingmindspsj.com