The St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's and Women's Soccer programs showed their support for Autism at a campus event last week in honor of Autism Awareness Month. They joined their fellow classmates and Student Government Association in "Lighting It Up Blue" to raise funds to increase awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, family and society.

It is estimated that one in every 110 children is diagnosed with autism making it more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined. An estimated 1.5 million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide are affected by autism. Government statistics suggest the prevalence rate of autism is increasing 10-17 percent annually. What causes autism? The simple answer is we don't know. The vast majority of cases of autism are idiopathic, which means the cause is unknown.

Provided by the St. Thomas Aquinas Sports Information Department