Valley business raises $100k for new playground at autism charter school

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - A Valley business raised big money and shut its doors for the day to build a playground for the Arizona Autism Charter School.

"I think that we are doing a good thing, we're helping people play and playing is always fun," said Bebe Spitalny, a volunteer.

Employees of Fairytale Brownies spent the day outside of the bakery working together to assemble a slide, swings and painted a mural at the Arizona Autism Charter School.

"We closed the bakery so there is no shipping brownies today and everybody is out here to volunteer and work together," Eileen Spitalny said.

Diana Diaz Harrison is the founder and director of the first-approved charter school in Arizona that focuses on students on the autism spectrum.

"Play and leisure skills are very important to children on the autism spectrum because sometimes they need to be facilitated and taught where as they come natural to other kids," she said. "Our kids need a lot of help in facilitation and therapeutic intervention to help them be social and come out of their shell [to] make connections and friends."

Fairytale Brownies, in business locally for 25 years, raised $100,000 in eight months to provide the equipment to the Arizona Autism Charter School.

The playground will be completed by the end of the day.