Cinder-Awesome assembly celebrates autism and brings awareness

April 12, 2018

There’s a new Cinderella in town, and she’s Cinder-Awesome! Written by Resource Teacher, Adam Knowlson and performed by the Dorothy Peacock Elementary Drama Club, the play reinvented the popular fairy tale. In this version, Cinderella has autism. The play aims to bring awareness to autism, with inclusion as its focus.

Instead of a glass slipper, Cinder-Awesome donned a golden ‘snap-back’ cap and rode around in a chrome-wheeled truck. The dance party was joyfully referred to as a “hip-hop happenin’ break-dance party!” which was cheered on by the kids in the audience. Despite her step sister’s belief that Cinder-Awesome couldn’t do anything cool, she turned out to be an amazing hip-hop happenin’ break dancer. With her amazing, and different dance moves, she won the attention of the prince, and the two became fast friends in celebration of her differences.

The assembly was organized in part by the school’s two energetic pair of students with autism, Ryan and Charlie. Together, with the help of a committee of students and parents, they did a series of fund raisers, prior to the assembly, including the sale of T-shirts with their slogan “It’s not autism it’s awetism”. All money raised was donated to the Canucks Autism Network, who thanked the pair during the assembly.

Over 134 shirts were sold, raising over $400 from them alone. In total, the students raised over $1000 (their goal) towards the Canucks Autism Network, which “provide[s] year-round sports and recreation programs for children, teens, young adults and families living with autism, while increasing autism awareness and providing training in communities across British Columbia.”