A young Warwick resident, Ava, 11, is making her television debut this weekend this Saturday as part of the Meeting Street Telethon.

Ava, now a 5th grader at The Grace School, has been attending Meeting Street since she was only 3 years old and will be one of the student hosts for the Telethon.

The Telethon is celebrating Meeting Street’s 70th anniversary and serves as the organization’s largest fundraiser, receiving $863,000 in donations last year.

This year’s donations will fund several initiatives including scholarships and therapy equipment. With two locations rather than one this year, Meeting Street is hoping to raise $1 million.

Presented by Cardi’s Furniture, the telethon. Which will run from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m., will be broadcasted live on WPRI 12 and hosted by the channel’s news anchors with help from Meeting Street students.

The Telethon will feature Meeting Street students, a look into their various programs, as well as interviews with staff and Meeting Street families. There will also be an in-depth look at the partnership with The Schwartz Center, which alone ahs help to service 5,000 individuals annually.

This will also be the first year in which the telethon will be broadcast live from two locations, at both the Providence and Dartmouth campuses.

Ava has quadriparesis cerebral palsy and has been so excited for the telethon, especially when she was able to pick out her dress for the event.

Edie Silvio, Al Hulley, and Denise Pelletier, Ava’s team of teachers and therapists all describe Ava as a hardworking, opinionated and bright young lady that thrives in a social setting.

Hulley said, “She’s very excited. Ava has been on the commercials and billboards; she loves all the attention.

All three believe that Meeting Street has been a huge benefit for Ava because her condition does restrict her motion as well as modes of communication. At Meeting Street though, she participates in a class with students of all abilities, an opportunity she may not be afforded in a public school.

“That’s a huge part for her she doesn’t have to be in her own specialized program in classroom all abilities,” Pelletier said. “She’s a very social young lady.”

Silvio said, “Ava’s made a lot of strong bonds I don’t think she would have in public school.”

Hulley explained that she also has greater accessibility to different communication tools, she has increased interaction with others through these tools. She can showcase just how intelligent she is.

“She is going to love being in the spotlight,” Silvio said. “She will be the perfect hostess. Ava is a great kiddo.”

The Meeting Street Telethon will be broadcast from 7 p.m. to 11p.m. on WPRI 12 on Saturday, January 30.

For more information on Meeting Street visit www.meetingstreet.org. For more information on the telethon visit www.meetingstreet.org/

Telethon.