North Allegheny teachers' passion for helping others isn't limited to the classroom.

On Friday, Sharon Volpe and a team of North Allegheny teachers and community members will host the first Evening for Autism to benefit Autism Speaks, an organization dedicated to increasing awareness of autism and to fund research to find a cure.

The event will be at the Shannopin Country Club, in Ben Avon Heights, and will feature entertainment, raffles and hors d'oeuvres. All proceeds from the event will go to the North Allegheny team's donation to Autism Speaks through the annual Walk Now for Autism event in June.

Walk Now for Autism is the nation's largest grassroots autism walk program. North Allegheny's team tops about 200 teachers and students from the school district. Last year, North Allegheny's team won the school team's gold award for raising more than $9,000.

Volpe's respect for the children who have autism and for their parents stirred her desire to "go bigger" in the North Allegheny team's fundraising efforts this year.

"I started doing the walk a few years ago, and I got involved and it (autism) scared me," says Volpe, a math teacher at North Allegheny Senior High. "To have a kid with autism, the parents have to be so strong."

Volpe hopes by combining the benefit event and the team members' fundraising efforts, North Allegheny will be able to raise between $10,000 and $15,000 for Autism Speaks this year.

The team of North Allegheny teachers have worked hard for the past months to put together the Evening for Autism, but she says it's worth it. The greatest encouragement the North Allegheny team receives is from the parents and families who have a child with autism. Volpe says in the years she has participated in the walk, she has been touched by the parents.

"Parents will come up to us (at the walk) and just thank us because they know we really don't have any connection with autism," Volpe says.

"But, I think all of us recognize how important this is. It's been amazing to watch because it affects all of us in one way or another."

Joy Manesiotis, a math teacher at North Allegheny Senior High, says when she and her husband first got involved in the walk more than seven years ago, she didn't know many people with autism. However, since then several of her friends had children or grandchildren with autism.

"We're fortunate enough to have two children who are perfectly healthy, and we wanted to give back," Manesiotis says.

North Allegheny's team has no intention of slowing down their fundraising efforts and hopes to one day make a difference in the life of a child with autism.

"I want us to be a part of when they find a cure, to be able to say we raised money for this," Volpe says. "We're going to keep doing this until a cure is found."

An Evening for Autism will be from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Friday, May 16, at the Shannopin Country Club, in Ben Avon Heights. The annual Walk Now for Autism benefit walk will be on Saturday, June 7, at Heinz Field. For details, contact Volpe at 724-934-7200 or svolpe@northallegheny.org.