Skating and walking for a cause, and a pretty special one at that.

The Steel City Icebergs, a division of Pittsburgh Special Hockey, will be holding a Skate/Walk-A-Thon from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Arena on Neville Island.

Registration will begin at 5:30 p.m.

"That's when people can make a donation and then spend two hours either skating or walking near the rink," said Sharon Huss, Chair of the event.

A Chinese auction and a raffle for a Penguins jersey signed by Marc-Andre Fleury will kick off at the event as well.

The donations will be used to offset the costs of the hockey team, which is an adaptive program for both children and adults with developmental disabilities such as Autism, Down syndrome and traumatic brain injuries.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have already donated equipment to the team, but money still needs to be raised for rental of the rink, game jerseys and other essentials, which combined will cost an estimated $21,500.

The Icebergs currently have 30 players between the ages of five and 56, several of whom reside in Butler County.

One of them is Anthony Sciullo, 16, a Penn Township resident who has Down syndrome.

His mother, Kay Sciullo, is Registrar for Pittsburgh Special Hockey.

"We have had a very positive response," Kay Sciullo wrote of the team in an emailed interview. "This controlled setting uniquely combines ... social interaction, self-reliance, concentration and willingness to adapt to new experiences with a sense of accomplishment and pride."

Practices will begin in September on Neville Island.

Games will not be scheduled until the team's six coaches feel the players achieve a comfort level on the ice. When that happens, the players will be divided up into at least two teams.

There are 18 people currently volunteering their time to make the program as successful as possible. That number includes Huss and Kay Sciullo.

For Huss, she hopes the experience has a positive impact on her five-year old son, Daniel, who has Autism.

"He's got an older brother (Jacob) and sister (Rebecca) who both skate," Huss said. "I hope that Daniel becomes a better skater. I want him to be as involved as possible and have social interaction with the other players.

"What it comes down to is he's going to be doing what he sees his sister and brother doing," Huss added. "I think it's really going to help our family."

If unable to attend Sunday's fundraiser, donations may also be made by making a check payable to Pittsburgh Special Hockey, 101 Powell Road, Butler, Pa, 16002.

For more details on the Icebergs and Pittsburgh Special Hockey, log onto www.pittsburghspecialhockey.org.