An event designed to increase awareness about autism will be held Friday, Dec. 1 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the Coastal Carolina University Rotunda in University Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Coastal journalism students, along with community service agency SOS Health Care, aim to educate the community about a new program that involves pairing dogs with autistic children at a young age. This program will be a first for Horry County and the entire state of South Carolina. A short video will be shown featuring two local autistic children, Thomas and Daniel Clement, and their encounter with "Sam" a specially trained Labrador retriever. The children's parents and representatives of the Myrtle Beach Autism Advocate Foundation will also be present at the event.

SOS Health Care is a community partner of United Way. Directed by Dr. Bill Davis, the organization seeks to address the needs of the most vulnerable persons in Horry County for the last 17 years. Four of the programs SOS Health Care started have branched off to become independent non-profit organizations.

For more information, contact Lee Bollinger at 349-2748, or e-mail at lbolling@coastal.edu.