Summit Coffee and Restaurant X in Davidson are among a list of area restaurants that will help raise money for the Mecklenburg County chapter of the Autism Society of North Carolina during the annual Autism Aware Fare on Thursday, April 17. When you dine out at participating restaurants that day, they’ll donate a portion of the proceeds to the autism society chapter.

The event, which was first held in 2002, is the main annual fund-raiser for chapter. The chapter organizes a variety of activities, including providing $17,000 in grants to support local teachers who serve students with autism.

Autism, or ASD, is a neurological disorder for which there is no known cause or cure. It affects 1 out of 150 children and impacts language and social development as well as the ability to adapt to change. Frequently these difficulties require years of speech therapy or prevent any language development at all.

The Autism Society of North Carolina – Mecklenburg County chapter is a non-profit local affiliate of the Autism Society of North Carolina. For information on Autism Aware Fare, contact Betsy Gustafson at 704-341-9669 or visit www.autismawarefare.org.