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Top model to work the catwalk for local autism awareness project

LOCK HAVEN – The world outside your own realm can easily go by unnoticed if it doesn’t directly affect you – we’ve all got our own lives and our own everyday battles.

But sometimes, all you have to do is look next door to open your eyes to the world that surrounds you. And if you’re brave enough and if you’ve got a benevolent heart, you won’t look away.

Instead, you’ll soak up what you see. You’ll extend your hand next door, and maybe even extend it as far as to raise awareness of a disorder – a disorder that impacts one in 50 children in the United States.

Like Katie Berfield, a 17-year-old senior at Central Mountain who has organized a bridal fashion show to raise autism awareness.

Rocking the Runway for Austim is set for noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 4, at the Lock Haven Elks, and is free to the public.

Her road to this senior project began one day while she was out in her yard and a neighbor, an 8-year-old autistic boy named Gunner, came up and started to talk to her.

“He never talks to anyone,” Katie’s mother, Beth, said. “But he wanted to talk to Katie.”

That particular instance, an instance that Katie could’ve easily shrugged off and allowed to go by without impact, sparked something inside of her.

She took that small interaction with a shy little boy and turned it into her inspiration for her senior project, a benefit for autistic awareness.

Katie has been pulling her resources and working diligently for months to assemble her bridal expo, “Rocking the Runway for Autism,” which will take place on Aug. 4.

Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a brain disorder that affects social interactions, communication and other behaviors.

The prevalence of parent-reported cases of autism is significantly higher now than it was just five years ago, according to new CDCP study released in March.

According to the study, ASD affects one in 50 American children, which surpasses another federal estimate for the disorder, which is 1 in 88. The new statistic comes from a national phone survey of more than 95,000 parents in 2011 and 2012.

The range of ASD is vast – on the mild end is Asperger’s syndrome (like Katie’s neighbor, Gunner), in which social skills are affected but rarely intelligence and language, while “classic” autism can mean substantial problems with communication and other behaviors, according to health officials.

All proceeds of Katie’s benefit will go to the organization Autism Speaks for Gunner’s Gang, to help support autism awareness.

The bridal expo will be comprised of all wedding-needs facets.

There will be vendors selling wedding supplies like flowers, jewelry and chocolates, mostly from local businesses.

“We’re trying to keep every part of the expo as local as possible,” Beth said.

Even the models are local, including America’s Next Top Model winner Brittani Kline, formerly of Howard.

“Katie taking on an event like this is huge, and I couldn’t be happier to participate,” said the Cycle 16 winner. “As cases grow, so must the awareness.”

More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined, according to CDCP, so chances are someone you know has or knows someone who is affected by autism, as is the case with Kline.

“I checked with my manager to clear any conflicts and found out his nephew has autism” so he was especially supportive, Kline said.

All formalwear is compliments of Simply Formal at Bonnie’s Salon, Katie’s current employer, with more than 300 designs, and more than 14 different dress manufacturers, to be going down the runway.

“The gowns are stunning – my favorite is a mermaid-style Jacqueline Exclusive, but there will be gowns from the popular Maggie Sottero as well,” Katie said.

“The sizes aren’t going to be just teeny-tiny,” she said. “We have sizes two to 30 going down the runway.”

And by the end of the day, one lucky soon-to-be bride will walk away win an entire wedding package – a 2014 bridal gown, four tuxedos, four bridesmaid dresses and a flower girl dress – $7,000 worth of winnings.

In addition, there will also be a Chinese auction, filled with wedding supplies from Clinton County-based businesses.

“It’s not easy putting on a runway show, and so far Katie is doing an outstanding job,” Kline said.

Sarah Embick, 17, an upcoming senior at Central Mountain, is going to be helping her out backstage, and is also proud and excited for the show.

“I’m looking forward to seeing all the dresses and seeing how much Katie is going to be helping out in raising awareness,” Embick said. She said she hopes people will come up with their own initiative to help raise awareness.

“I hope people will walk away with more knowledge about autism and will be more helpful to families who are affected by it,” Embick said. “And hopefully they will be inspired enough to help out others in raising awareness.”

Most locals will recognize the Master of Ceremonies, Blake Bergey, who was previously the indoor percussion instructor at Central Mountain and now works for Penn State University.

It also won’t be hard to recognize Katie at the expo – she’ll be wearing her prom dress – a dress with the autism awareness banner colors.

So what’s next for Katie? After this show, she’ll be marketing for her next show, a prom dress expo in January, which will go towards the same cause.

For more information in regards to autism awareness, visit autismspeaks.org.

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