By MAYA ZISLIN
SPCECIAL TO PASCACK PRESS
WESTWOOD — Westwood UNICO brought students, families and community members together April 25 for its annual pasta dinner supporting autism awareness and two special education schools, EPIC and Quest.
The event, held at the Westwood Community Center, raised money for EPIC, which serves students ages 3 to 21, and Quest, which serves adults 21 and older. Local high school students, including members of Pascack Hills Unified, helped set up and run the dinner.
Westwood UNICO, part of the largest Italian American service organization in the United States, has served the community for 68 years. The organization’s motto, “Service Above Self,” reflects its commitment to charitable work and the promotion of Italian American heritage. Its efforts include support for cancer research, autism awareness, mental health initiatives, food banks, toy drives and nursing scholarships.
Each April, Westwood UNICO invites students from EPIC and Quest to share dinner with members of the community. This year’s event included pasta, craft stations and raffle prizes.
At the end of the evening, Westwood UNICO awarded a $5,000 grant to support EPIC and Quest. Organizers said the schools plan to use the donation toward specialized iPads that help students communicate.
“I think that these kids need the care they deserve,” said Roseann Heytink, a Westwood UNICO member and event organizer. “Some of them are nonverbal and have been working so hard with the schools to communicate. It takes them twice as much time and energy to do something we do automatically.”
Heytink said the cause is especially meaningful to the organization because one UNICO member has a son on the autism spectrum who attended the schools.
“We’ve seen him grow up into an amazing person through these schools,” Heytink said. “It has made me so proud to see him graduate.”
The student is now part of Quest’s 21-and-older program.
Organizers said the dinner was a success, and Westwood UNICO plans to continue its work supporting individuals with autism and other needs in the community.