Annual Charity Gala
Our signature annual fundraiser is a night of inspiration, connection, and giving. The StarCastle Gala brings together donors, community leaders, families, and advocates for an elegant evening of dinner, entertainment, and keynote speakers who share the stage with individuals on the spectrum.
All proceeds go directly to funding our programs, events, and resources for the autism community. It is our biggest fundraising event of the year and a celebration of how far we've come — and how far we'll go.
Walk for Autism
The StarCastle Walk for Autism is a community-powered fundraising walk designed to be inclusive, joyful, and accessible for participants of all abilities. Individuals on the spectrum, their families, friends, and supporters walk together to raise awareness and funds.
This event is designed to be sensory-friendly, with quiet zones, sensory accommodations, and a welcoming environment for participants at every ability level. It's not just a walk — it's a celebration of community.
Family Fun Day
A joyful, inclusive outdoor gathering for the entire family — designed with the autism community in mind. Family Fun Day features sensory-friendly activities, arts and crafts stations, food, music, and informational resource booths where families can connect with local services and support organizations.
Certified therapy dog teams join every Family Fun Day, giving kids a calm, welcoming anchor in the middle of a busy event. Every aspect of this day is thoughtfully planned to minimize sensory overwhelm while maximizing fun — because every family deserves a day to simply enjoy being together.
Transition to Adulthood Workshops
For teens and young adults on the spectrum, the transition from school to adult life is one of the most important — and challenging — periods of their journey. Our workshops cover practical, real-world topics including employment, independent living, self-advocacy, higher education options, and navigating government services.
Facilitated by professionals who specialize in autism transition planning, and featuring peer speakers who have navigated this path themselves, these workshops are informative, practical, and empowering.
Paw Pals
Monthly sensory-friendly sessions where children read to, sit with, or simply spend quiet time alongside certified therapy dogs. Research shows animal-assisted interactions produce measurable improvements in social communication, irritability, and sensory regulation in autistic children — and Paw Pals is designed to deliver exactly that, in a low-pressure, joyful setting.
We partner with certified therapy dog teams through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and Pet Partners — both with active SoCal chapters — meaning the animals are fully trained, insured, and handled by experienced volunteers. No overhead, no liability, all the benefit.
Equine Therapy Scholarships
Therapeutic riding and hippotherapy have among the strongest evidence bases of any animal-assisted intervention for autism — with controlled studies showing improvements in social communication, irritability, and sensory regulation. The barrier is cost: sessions at PATH International–accredited centers run $50–150 each and are rarely covered by insurance.
StarCastle Foundation partners with accredited equine centers in the LA and OC area to fund session blocks for families who cannot afford them. A single sponsorship of $1,200 covers a full semester of weekly riding for one child — and gives your donation a face, a story, and content worth sharing.
