FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- Head volleyball coach Courtney Materazzi and the Fairmont State volleyball team will be hosting Autism Awareness Night on Friday evening during its Mountain East Conference matchup against Concord at Joe Retton Arena. The matchup will get underway at 7 p.m. as a part of Homecoming Week on the Fairmont State campus.
 
The volleyball program will be partnering with The Disability Action Center of Marion County and the Ted Lindsay Foundation who will be on hand during Friday evening's match to provide information and awareness about Autism Awareness in our local community.
 
In addition, members of the Fairmont State volleyball team will be wearing special Autism Awareness t-shirts during pregame warm-ups prior to the match. A limited number of the Autism Awareness t-shirts will also be available for purchase at the first-floor entrance of Joe Retton Arena and the Feaster Center.
 
All proceeds from the t-shirt sales will be donated to the Dup15q Alliance, Autism Speaks, and the Ted Lindsay Foundation.
 
With assistance from the disability action center, members of the community living with Autism have been invited as guests to attend Friday evening's match. In addition to watching the game live inside Joe Retton Arena, a second viewing area will be available inside the Feaster Center Theater Room, free of game sounds and with minimal lighting. Other resources and provisions at the game include a sensory stimulation room, ear plugs, fidget toy gifts, bean bag chairs and bouncy ball seating. 
 
"It is such a powerful experience for our team to have the opportunity to team with the Disability Action Center and Ted Lindsay Foundation for such a worthy cause," said Fairmont State Volleyball Coach Courtney Materazzi. "There are individuals in our Fairmont community, on campus and around the world that face challenges, stress and physical discomfort in many day to day activities and environments.
 
"Our hope is to provide a space that welcomes individuals who maybe couldn't fully enjoy a sporting event previously. We feel so fortunate and proud that our team has been driven to research and really facilitate that space. Inclusion can be a difficult task based on your own unconscious privileges. We hope that everyone in attendance feels comfortable, welcome and encouraged by the changes we can all make," Materazzi added.