In a demonstration of solidarity and compassion, the brothers of Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) at Manhattan College organized a fundraiser dedicated to raising awareness and funds for Autism Dreams. The inspiration behind this event stemmed from a personal connection, as one of the fraternity members has a sibling with autism.
The event, held on Jaspers Wellness Day, went beyond just raising money. It turned into a lively celebration of including everyone and understanding each other. With a table full of sweets and an exciting atmosphere all around, the event became a symbol of hope for people and families dealing with autism.
Anthony Behpour, whose brother has autism, served as the catalyst for the fundraiser and spoke about the importance of raising awareness.
“The fundraising was for Autism Dreams, which is a charity that was started about four years ago by my mom,” Behpour said. “We used to raise a lot of money for Autism Speaks because my brother has autism, and then we were raising so much money we decided to start our own [charity]. We raise money for children with autism that aren’t able to afford extracurricular activities like camp, horseback riding, swimming, things like that, because that’s what would help my brother.”
The fundraiser was able to raise a total of $280 to contribute towards autism awareness. The fundraising event left an impact on the fraternity, allowing for memorable moments.
“The most memorable moment has got to be when my brother showed up,” Behpour said. “He’s 17 now and he’s just one of the most talkative people you’ll ever meet. He loves schools and buildings, so he was just walking around saying hi to everyone.”
Brendan Byrne, a member of DKE who helped at the fundraiser, also shared his most memorable moment of the event.
“Just getting people in and being able to tell them that it’s for a good cause,” Byrne said. “For example, there were two people that came up to us and were like, ‘what is this for?’ and being able to explain that we’re not just a table sitting here, and that it’s going to a very good foundation.”
