What started as one Roslyn teenager’s vision for a more inclusive summer is now entering its fifth year and its biggest chapter yet.
GAME ON for Autism, the flag football fundraiser founded by Roslyn student Justin Wasserman, returns Sunday, June 7, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at The Park at East Hills. Tickets are $54 per person.
The event benefits Camp Kehilla, Sid Jacobson JCC’s summer program dedicated to neurodivergent children, teens and young adults ages 5 through 21.
This year’s edition arrives with two notable additions.
The event is partnering for the first time with the Roslyn Flag Football League, deepening its roots in the local athletic community.
Former New York Jets and Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler is also scheduled to appear, lending some star power to an afternoon already built around purpose.
Families attending can expect flag football for kids in grades K-8, along with a free halftime inclusive dance party hosted by Kerboom Kidz at 2:30 p.m.
The event raises funds for Camp Kehilla, a program that strives to give neurodivergent youth the same camp experience as their neurotypical peers.
“The goal is for these [neurodivergent] individuals to experience the same activities and exciting aspects of camp as their [neurotypical] peers,” said Jocelyn Wasserman, Justin’s mother and a member of Sid Jacobson JCC’s Board of Directors.
Camp Kehilla serves children and young adults ages 5 to 21 in what organizers describe as a nurturing setting focused on exploration and growth.
“It is a great day to see kids helping kids — typically developing children and children with special needs coming together for a day of play and purpose,” Wasserman said.
Tickets, registration, sponsorship information and additional details are available at sjjcc.org/gameon.