Apraxia Kids, a nonprofit organization that supports children who have apraxia, which is a speech disorder, holds fundraising walks each year in different cities throughout the U.S. and Canada. While the goals of the walks include to raise awareness about apraxia and to raise money for the organization, the primary goal is to recognize children with apraxia during an honorary awards ceremony.

Locally, the Hershey Walk for Apraxia will take place on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 121 N. Spring St., Middletown. Registration will open at 11 a.m., and the walk is scheduled to begin at approximately 11:45 a.m.

Jessica Ayala-Hollars, whose son, Jericho Hollars, has apraxia, is coordinating the Hershey walk for the first time. "We are going to walk indoors in the halls," explained Ayala-Hollars. "Last year, we were at Lebanon Valley College, and before that we were at Shank Park. We thought 'Let's do it indoors so we don't take chances because of the weather.'" She noted that the church has donated its facilities for the day.

A highlight of the event will follow the walk, when each child, called an Apraxia Star, receives a medal that includes the phrase, "I'm a star!" "After (the walk), there is a ceremony where we call each individual up, and the Apraxia Stars receive a certificate and a medal," Ayala-Hollars said. "We will announce their name, and their parents will walk up with them, and we take a photo."

She said each youngster with apraxia is honored for his or her diligence in living with the affliction. "We want to honor all the hard work that they put in, in speech therapy," noted Ayala-Hollars. "Apraxia is something that will never go away. Once someone is diagnosed with it, it will follow them into adulthood."

The event will also include carnival games and prizes, free pizza and face painting. "We will have a DJ with music because the kids love to dance," Ayala-Hollars said. "We will have a huge banner and balloon arches that we set up so families can take pictures."

Information about apraxia, provided by the Apraxia Kids organization, will be available at the event.

Ayala-Hollars noted that Jericho was diagnosed with apraxia at the age of 5 by a speech pathologist. According to http://www.apraxia-kids.org, childhood apraxia of speech is a motor speech disorder that makes it hard for children to speak. While children with apraxia of speech generally have a good understanding of language and know what they want to say, they have difficulty with the movements required for speech, making them unable to form certain words, phrases or sentences. Those with apraxia work with speech therapists to improve their skills.

"Once I found out that he had apraxia, I did some research to educate myself and I came across Apraxia Kids, and I noticed they were doing the walk," noted Ayala-Hollars. "We signed up and attended the walk for the first time in 2022. We wanted to try to get (Jericho) comfortable ... because he was shy and didn't like to talk. He said he didn't like his voice because he sounded like a baby compared to other kids his age, I wanted to show him there were other (kids like him) out there."

Ayala-Hollars believes that children with apraxia share a special camaraderie. "(I was inspired) by seeing the kids make friends and come together," she shared, adding that parents can also form a bond. "Speaking with (other parents) was so helpful. You (learn) you are not alone in this struggle. You learn about resources and gain friendships and bond. It's almost like a family."

Donations will be accepted at the event, and business sponsors are also welcome to contribute. "Donations help our chapter and help nationwide," Ayala-Hollars said. "The money that is collected goes to having resources for educators because a lot of classroom teachers don't know what apraxia is or what to expect. It also offsets the cost of private speech therapy. Apraxia is not a medical disability; it's hard to get insurance to cover speech therapy out of school."

Community members are welcome to attend the walk as well as the awards ceremony. "If someone has time, come on out and support the kiddos. It means a lot to them," she added.

Registration for the walk is free, and each registered individual will have the opportunity to work toward earning individual fundraising incentive prizes. Every registered walker who raises $50 will earn a 2024 Walk for Apraxia T-shirt. For more information and to register, visit http://community.apraxia-kids.org/hersheywalk or search for the "2024 Hershey Walk for Apraxia" Facebook page. Those with questions may email Ayala-Hollars at jhollars717@gmail.com.