FOUR Seasons Hotel Riyadh participated in the “Light It Up Blue” campaign in honor of World Autism Awareness Day by having the hotel team wear blue piece pins in support of the cause. Blue is the official color of autism awareness and the puzzle piece, which represents the mystery of this devastating neurodevelopmental disorder, is the official symbol. The hotel also showed support by lighting the hotel lobby in blue on this day, and displaying blue flowers throughout the hotel. World Autism Awareness Day was declared by the United Nations in 2007 to pay tribute to individuals and families around the world touched by autism, a group of complex developmental brain disorders that affect approximately 1 in every 88 children in the US and millions worldwide. In December 2012, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously passed a new resolution encouraging governments to take urgent action to improve access to long-term healthcare, education, training and intervention programs for persons with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), developmental disorders (DD), and associated disabilities, at local, national and international levels. Each year on World Autism Awareness Day, Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and research organization, organizes the “Light It Up Blue” campaign. This international effort encourages iconic buildings and landmarks around the world to illuminate in blue, the official color of autism awareness. During last year's campaign, nearly 3,000 structures in over 600 cities and 45 countries were illuminated in blue. Participating buildings and landmarks around the world included the Empire State Building in New York, Tokyo Tower in Japan, Christ the Redeemer Statue in Brazil, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, Table Mountain in South Africa, and the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, as well as airports, bridges, museums, concert halls, schools, universities, restaurants, and retail stores around the world. This year it is estimated that more than 80 countries on 7 continents will participate in Light It Up Blue. — SG
