Game helps awareness of autism

The Union Hill Bulldogs hosted their third annual Austism Awareness game Sunday, July 14. The opponent was the Montgomery Mallards.

Katie Dietz has organized the event each year for the Bulldogs. She is a graduate student in child psychology and works with autistic children at the Fraser School in Minneapolis. Her brother had been a player for the Bulldogs until this year.

“We do this to raise awareness about autism - to help get more inclusion and more acceptance into the game,” she said.

She said the players have been very supportive of her efforts. Two of the team’s players - Derek and Conrad Masberg - work with autistic children, one as a special education teacher and the other as an adapted physical education teacher.

Prior to the game brothers Julian and Dashell Galbraith threw out the first ball. Both brothers - sons of Christine Hallet and Simon Galbraith - have been diagnosed with autism.

The public address announcer for the game was D.J. Gilder - a New Prague High School graduate who has autism. He has worked this season for both Union Hill and Lonsdale as a substitute announcer. Between innings, he read some autism facts to help raise awareness. In addition, a donation jar in the concession stand collected donations for the Autism Society of Minnesota.