The Royal Masquerade Bowl Supports Autism Charity

and were full of masked characters on Saturday night for .

The event, a fundraiser for the non-profit Advisory Board on Autism and Related Disorders, was hosted by Tom Caste, owner of the bowling alley and bar/restaurant that is Princess and Prior's on Weyman Road in .

"(Caste) said, 'If I gave you my bowling alley, what could you do with it?'" said Lu Randall, executive director of ABOARD. Randall explained that the idea of having a masquerade event came because "we were trying to make it edgy and get a different crowd."

ABOARD, founded in 1995, provides numerous services for both parents and educators of individuals with autism, including a phone counseling line for parents, over 60 support groups in over 45 counties, an 80-volume lending library (free to use), training workshops for teachers, and more.

Caste, a relatively new member of ABOARD, became familiar with the organization while looking for support for his autistic son.

"We were looking for people who had been through it," he said.

He was introduced to ABOARD by Carolyn Komich Hare, who works with high-functioning autistic adults.

"I felt it was a well-run, highly competent non-profit," Caste said. "Because (ABOARD) was started through parents, it has deep experience and history."

While recognizing the importance of national organizations such as Autism Speaks, Caste urged people to consider contributing to local organizations like ABOARD.

"It's like the difference between federal and local income tax," Caste said. "Your federal tax goes to who-knows-what, but your local tax goes to the local community."

Caste also began the Caste Family Fund this past year. When considering starting a new non-profit, Caste said, he realized that there were already many good local non-profits that need support.

"So we decided to throw our weight behind existing non-profits and focus on our fundraising power," he said.

Saturday night's event was one such fundraiser. Decorations for the evening, featuring ornate table settings, posters and masks, were the work of Bridget Little, who does marketing design for Caste's The Royal Mile Company.

The event was also supported by local businesses like Whitehall's  and Payroll Solutions, and included cocktails, a food buffet, raffle prizes and bowling.

Attendees were encouraged to wear masks and costumes. (View the photo gallery toward the top of this page.)