Must-Do To Do’s in Wilton This Week

Spring has sprung, the mercury is stretching above 50 degrees, and Wilton sports are in full swing. With schedules rapidly filling up, here are a few can’t-miss events happening around town this week for which you might want to make room.

Bottled Up! for Wilton Schools Bottle & Can Recycling Drive, Saturday April 6, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. A group of enterprising Wilton students are channeling their charitable spirit to capitalize on spring clean-up time. Bottled Up! for Wilton Schools, part of the Wilton Education Foundation, raises money for the Wilton school district by redeeming bottles and cans for the 5-cent deposit money. They’re holding their first community-wide collection event this Saturday at Trackside Teen Center.

Bottled Up! is asking residents to bring recyclables to donate to the effort. Group organizers say that it’s easy—just drive up, pop open the trunk of your car and the kids will unload any bottles and cans for donation. Since forming a little less than three years ago Bottled Up! has donated $1,300 to WEF from what they’ve collected—that amounts to 26,000 bottles and cans. They’re hoping to substantially beat 2012’s single-year donation of $800, and hope wider community participation will help them make that goal.

Kids in need of additional community service hours are also able to volunteer during the event. For information on volunteering or donating, visit Bottled Up!'s Facebook page.

Tech Expo 4.0, Wednesday April 3, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Want to be wowed by the cutting edge technology in use in Wilton’s classrooms? Students and teachers will be on hand to demonstrate the advances being used every day in the schools at this interactive expo on Wednesday evening at Miller-Driscoll Elementary School. Parents, students and members of the community—even those without kids—are invited to see how technology is changing education in Wilton.

There will also be “Child Innovators” demonstrating their own technology projects—websites, games, devices and apps that they’ve created outside the classroom.   As well, advances in media and technology that’s being implemented in special education programs will be featured.

“Light it Up Blue,” World Autism Awareness Day, Tuesday April 2 Every year, in conjunction with the United Nations World Autism Awareness Day, Autism Speaks kicks off Autism Awareness Month with “Light it Up Blue.” Major world landmarks—including the Empire State Building, the Great Pyramids in Egypt, the Sydney Opera House, Canada’s CN Tower, among others—will be lit by blue light to draw attention to the growing autism epidemic.

Miller-Driscoll is among the schools encouraging students to wear blue on Tuesday as part of the awareness campaign. The Wilton Y is also participating and asking Wilton residents to join in and support the cause by wearing blue clothing.

Rep. Jim Himes Town Hall, Thursday April 4, 7 p.m. Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) will be holding four Town Hall meetings to hear from constituents, and one of them is Thursday evening in Wilton at Trackside Teen Center. With major issues facing Congress—job growth, gun violence, immigration reform—Himes is asking for input from residents of his district. Himes’ office is encouraging RSVPs, although it’s not required. To attend, call (866) 453-0028 or visit the congressman’s website.