World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, 2015
Chauvet Lights It Up Blue
Chauvet is going blue to help fight a disorder that affects 1 in 68 babies born in the US every year, and the company, along with PLSN editor and noted LD Nook Schoenfeld, is hoping that other lighting industry members join in this effort. On March 30, the company lighted its headquarters in Florida, as well as its facilities in the United Kingdom and Belgium, a bright royal blue to kick off the week leading up to World Autism Awareness Day on April 2.
A longtime advocate of autism research and care, Schoenfeld was instrumental in getting the upper floors of the Empire State Building illuminated blue a few years ago as part of the “Light It Up Blue” campaign to draw attention to the disorder on Autism Awareness Day. “The organization Autisms Speaks came up with the idea of lighting landmark buildings blue on Autism Awareness Day to raise awareness of the disorder,” he said. “I’ve been a big supporter throughout.”
This year, Schoenfeld decided to bring the effort closer to home and involve the lighting industry. “It seemed very natural to me,” he said. “As an industry we’re all about lighting, and this event is built on lighting. So I figured why doesn’t our industry light itself to raise autism awareness? I brought this up to some friends at Chauvet and they were all over the idea. Our hope now is that we can inspire the rest of the industry to join us in lighting their buildings for Autism Awareness Day on Thursday April 2.”