• Image Courtesy of Xavier DeGroat

EAST LANSING, MI - October 19th marked the annual Xavier DeGroat Autism Foundation's Spartan Sports Supports Autism Awareness Event.

Hosted by Xavier DeGroat, the event brought awareness for the Autism community as well as marked the accomplishments of Xavier, who recently helped pass a law in Michigan that gives autistic adults the ability to identify themselves as such on their license plates. This aids police officers in the event that they are needed to assist in a situation, but are unaware of the person's needs. Awards were passed out by Xavier himself, which were all awarded for special achievements that aided in the spread of Autism awareness.

Ken Plaga, Meridian Township's Police Chief, received the "Kindness and Leadership" award for his aid in helping educate the police force on how to properly interact with people on the autistic spectrum.

In a statement, Plaga had this to say: "I feel honored to be able to assist the foundation in their efforts to gain acceptance for those with autism and support the training and education they provide to the first responder community."