SaharaCares Autism Carnival This is our signature charitable event. It has grown tremendously in size, benefits, and activities from it first year in 2005 when we hosted 24 autistic children and family members for a total of about 100 people. In 2015, our 11th year, we hosted 600 autistic children and their siblings and immediate family for a total of almost 3,000 participants. We expect the future carnivals to grow exponentially, as has been demonstrated by the past, given that many of our families return each year and word of mouth actively spreads regarding the overall benefits of the day.