TOWAMENCIN – In 2013, Ben Hartranft picked Dan Dizio, the CEO of Philly Soft Pretzel Factory, out of a crowd during the pretzel factory’s opening in Montgomery Mall simply because he recognized the CEO from his appearance on Undercover Boss. After talking and becoming friends, Dizio was able to help Hartranft in his efforts to raise money for the Autism Society of America.

 
Autism is a condition that affects the brain and can impact the ability for people to read social cues, language development and repetitive behaviors. This condition affects 1 in 66 children, and it affects boys 4x more than girls.

 
Ben Hartranft was diagnosed with Autism when he was only two years old. At three years old, he began attending speech therapy classes because he only had a 20 word vocabulary when he should have had a 200 word vocabulary. Ever since, he’s been going to extensive speech therapy, and it’s helped him become the person he is today.

 
April is Autism Awareness Month, so people raise awareness and money for the condition. Throughout the month, people wear bright puzzle ribbons with the puzzle representing the mystery and the complexity of the disorder and the colors representing hope.

 
“Autism Awareness Month is so important to me because I like raising awareness for other people and help get them involved,” said Ben.

 
In his own effort to raise awareness and money for Autism the Autism Society of America, Ben organized a soft pretzel sale with pretzels donated by Dizio. Ben’s first sale took place last year at a yard sale. At the end of the sale, Ben raised $480.
This school year, Ben held another pretzel sale at North Penn. The sale was a tremendous success thanks to the outstanding participation from the school district, “We sold 200 pretzels in 40 minutes. The line was wrapped around the hallway like it was Black Friday,” described Ben.

 
The line was comprised of students, teachers, and faculty who wanted to support a great cause. Dr. Curt Dietrich, the superintendent of North Penn School District, paid a visit to the sale as well. It was such an amazing feeling for Ben seeing that much support from the district.

 
At the end of the sale, Ben raised $652. After his father’s company (SAP) matched the earnings, the grand total being donated to Autism Society of America was $1, 304.

 
After the sale, Ben received a 50th anniversary t-shirt and a letter from the CEO of the Autism Society of America thanking him for all of his hard work, “It’s amazing how we can do such a great thing for Autism,” described Ben.

 
At the sale, Kevin Manero, a North Penn English teacher and head baseball coach, offered Ben the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at an upcoming game. A few days later, Ben threw out the first pitch at North Penn’s baseball game, once again, raising awareness for Autism Awareness Month.

 
At the game, Ben’s name was announced, he threw out the pitch, and then he received a hat and t-shirt from the team, “I was very honored to throw out the first pitch,” said Ben “It was a really cool experience.”
It’s no doubt that throughout April Ben raised a lot of awareness for Autism. Even though Autism Awareness Month has come to a close, Ben will surely continue his efforts for Autism awareness with his generous nature and sociable personality.