SPANISH FORT, Alabama – Approximately 300 high school basketball coaches across the state will don special autism awareness shirts in games this week as a part of the first Shooting 2 Change event.

Thompson boys basketball coach Patrick Davis and others.

Powell has encouraged girls and boys basketball coaches around the state to wear the autism awareness shirt in any games they participate in Monday through Saturday. Powell said the event is not a fundraiser.

"All we want to do is have coaches, who may usually wear a tie or whatever, wear this shirt instead in hopes that people will ask questions about autism and awareness will be heightened," he said in an AL.com story last month.

Powell said Monday he had ordered approximately 800 shirts that will be worn by coaches, players and fans.

Players from 10 teams across the state will warm up in the shirts before their games.

“It’s really been amazing,” Powell said. “This started out with me just planning to get the eight boys coaches in Baldwin County to wear the shirt. Now, we have ordered 800. Even though, we have not played a game, the response has been spectacular.”

Spanish Fort will play a pair of games this week – at Gulf Shores on Friday. Coaches from those four teams will wear the autism awareness shirts during the games.

Powell plans on this being an annual event, though he said it may be moved until before Christmas or later in January next year largely to avoid shipping issues with the shirts.

“We didn’t know how big it could get, but we are excited about how much it has grown already and we have yet to play the first game,” he said. “I think it will even get bigger in the future.”

Those wanting to follow the event can use the hashtag shooting2change on twitter. Those wanting more information on the week or on autism, can email shooting2change@gmail.com

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