Hasbrouck Heights' Phyllis Caparino puts her all into a cause she believes in and once again she is gearing up to put everything she's got into raising austism awareness.

Caparino single-handledly brought in roughly $1,750 for the Walk Now Autism Speaks event last year. Inspired by her young nephew Elias who had been diagnosed with a light form of autism, Caparino immediately began a campaign to start raising funds for the annual walk.

Born with cerebral palsy and confined to a wheelchair, Caparino has never let that stop her from taking steps towards doing something she believes in.

This year she hopes to raise around $5,000 for the cause and once again invites people to join her and family members on Team Elias in the May 19 walk at Bergen Community College.

The walk is a few months a way but Caparino has already gotten started. She will be at the Wise Guys pizzeria in the Hackensack Stop N. Shop mall on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 3) taking donations and will be making the rounds at the local markets in the coming months.

Sign-ups for the annual walk have already begun online at the Walk New for Autism page. Those looking to give a donation can visit Team Elias' page and join up.

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