The Resort ~

Turf Valley to host Sixth Kidz Konvention benefiting Autism Speaks®

Ellicott City, Maryland - January 28, 2011 - Turf Valley will be hosting the sixth Kidz Konvention on March 6, 2011 to benefit Autism Speaks®. The event is open to the public, and will feature local schools, camps, live entertainment, educational services, and a special appearance by WPOC’s Bob Delmont. Maryland Family Magazine, The Baltimore Sun Media Group, Clear Channel Communications' WPOC and Kidstreet News will sponsor the event.

Kidz Konvention is a family-friendly expo welcoming Maryland families and children of all ages. Various activities and entertainment will be provided throughout the day, where children can participate in friendly competitions and creative crafts. Entertainment includes: face and hair painting, inflated moon bounce, a special appearance from the Howard County K9 Unit, and a "Doctor Is In" Booth by the Howard County Hospital to answer questions for parents. Jason Levinson & Co., an entertainment group from Columbia, will be performing throughout the event. Levinson specializes in a variety of children's entertainment, everything from Magicians to Jugglers to Unicyclists.

Informative Seminars will be available to parents about Child-Bullying from Janet Quirk, an Elementary School student counselor, and Autism from Michelle Landrum, Outreach coordinator for the EARLI autism pregnancy study at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg school of Public Health. Michelle Landrum will give a presentation entitled "Searching for Autism Answers: A Personal and Professional Perspective." Motivated by her younger son's Autism Spectrum Disorder, Michelle Landrum changed careers to work with autism researchers looking for ASD risk factors. A former journalist, Landrum now works at the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Epidemiology (CADDE) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "When my child was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, I was frustrated by the lack of good answers about what caused his disability, how it could be treated, and what his future would look like. Working with autism research gives me a front-row view as scientists consider these complex issues. With its emphasis on education and research, Autism Speaks® helps a huge number of families like mine."

Autism Speaks® is the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. For more information about autism and Autism Speaks®, please visit www.autismspeaks.org or contact the local office at 202.955.3111 or nationalcapitalarea@autismspeaks.org.

Bob Delmont is Baltimore's Workday companion. He has been with WPOC for over 10 years and keeps his midday listeners entertained with his upbeat delivery and friendly interaction with his audience. Bob has been nominated for the highly coveted Country Music Association’s Major Market Personality of the Year three times and counting!

Admittance to Kidz Konvention is a donation to Autism Speaks®, $5 for adults and $2 per child. On-site parking for the event is complimentary.

For more information on Turf Valley, please contact Regina Ford, Director of Marketing, at 410.423.0811, Nicole Hock, Event Coordinator, at 410.480.2427, or visit www.turfvalley.com.

Media Sponsors: Maryland Family Magazine, Kidstreet News, WPOC 93.1

Important Information:

The Sixth Kidz Konvention will benefit Autism Speaks®.

The event is open to the public; 11:00am - 4:00pm.

Admittance is a donation to Autism Speaks®; $5 for adults and $2 for children.

Turf Valley will have over 30 vendors and artisans to display their products and services.

Children’s Activities and Entertainment is throughout the entire event on Sunday, March 6, 2011

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