PHOTOS: JEFF LAHTI
Hundreds of people descended on the BMO Harris Bradley Center over the weekend, walking to raise money for Austism Speaks, the nation's largest supporter of autism research.
Together, local teams raised more than $185,000.
More than 2 million people in the U.S. have some form of autism, and boys are about five times more likely to develop symptoms, according to the organization's website. And research shows an uptick in the number of new diagnoses, increasing tenfold over the last 40 years.
Autism Speaks offers a variety of support services for families and individuals, from the day of diagnosis all the way into adulthood.
Click the podcast player below to hear from Amber Bray, a local mother whose team raised more than $9,000 for Autism Speaks.