The Friendly Neighborhood Showdown

Do you remember the first time you put on a pair of shoes that felt special?

For a lot of the families who find their way to Autistic Wings, dance has never felt like an option. It’s not just that tap shoes and ballet slippers are expensive—though when you’re already stretched thin, specialty gear is often the first thing that has to go.

It’s that almost everywhere else these kids go, the world is asking them to sit still, quiet down, or follow a set of rules made for someone else's brain. They are handed behavior charts and told how they should learn.

We don’t do that here.

When a dancer walks into our studio, we don't try to change them. We turn on the music, sit down, and listen. Sometimes it takes weeks just to understand how a single dancer learns best. It can take months to learn what their dreams are and how we can help our dancers achieve those dreams.

That kind of care cannot happen in a crowded room of twenty students. It only happens when an instructor has the time to sit with one, two, or three dancers and say: I see you. Let’s figure this out together.

That level of patience and devotion costs real money. For one dancer, a full scholarship—covering dedicated, small-group instruction and gear for a month—costs $686.

This season, our dream is simple: We need to fund four full scholarships for the entire year.

We don't want four dancers who are bursting with rhythm to sit on the sidelines simply because their family cannot afford it.

The Neighborhood Challenge: Nov 1 – Dec 8

If you’re reading this, you already know who we are. Maybe you’ve seen Leta on the morning news, met us at an event, or stopped by the studio to say hi. You know that we’re young, we’re stubborn, and we love these dancers with everything we have.

We also believe fundraising doesn't have to be stiff or formal. It can feel like a good old-fashioned block party.

Starting this week, we’re inviting our favorite people—our community, near and far—to set up their own fundraising pages or team pages. Beginning November 1st, we’re seeing who can rally their friends and family to bring in the most support for these four scholarships before Colorado Gives Day on December 8th.

One-time gifts help immediately. But what really keeps the studio lights on are neighbors who join Spencer’s Ribbons Brigade at $25 a month. It takes just 28 friends giving $25 to ensure one dancer has a secure spot on our floor every single month.

And yes, there will be friendly competition:

• The Defending Champion: Our teen co-founder Faith won the handcrafted wooden trophy last year, and she has kept it on her desk ever since. She is fully prepared to defend her title—unless someone out there builds a team strong enough to take it from her.
• Handcrafted Honors: The top fundraisers and teams take home real pieces of our studio—trophies mounted with original artwork by our dancer Spencer, hand-signed notes from our families, custom team gear, and a permanent place of honor on our studio wall.

How to Help Us Open the Door

1. Start your page this week. Click to set up your personal or team fundraising link. It takes two minutes.
2. Talk to your people. Tell them about the kids who need this room. Ask them if they’ll commit to giving on November 1st, or better yet, join Spencer's Ribbons Brigade for $25 a month.
3. Bring the joy. Share updates, cheer each other on, and let’s see if we can get those four dancers into shoes they love.

There are four dancers waiting for this floor. Let's make sure it's ready for them.