The results of a public event held in November by a new nonprofit group to raise awareness and build a specialized center for autism treatment and therapy in Greenville were better than expected, a board member said Friday.
People from in and around the Greenville area played in a tennis tournament and attended a dinner and auction, raising more than $40,000 for Aces for Autism, according to Margaret Turner, an organization board member.
Aces for Autism is leading an effort to open an autism therapy treatment center that offers applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy, in eastern North Carolina, Turner said. The closest center offering the treatment is in Cary.
ABA therapy is most effective as an early intervention tool for younger children with autism, according to physicians.
The first Samuel C. Robinson Tennis Tournament, Dinner and Auction was a huge success, Turner said. With one in 58 children in North Carolina now being diagnosed with autism, the need is growing in the east for the kind of highly impactful treatment offered through ABA therapy.
Suddenlink, Rucker Johns and Alpha Xi Delta sorority were major sponsors for the event. Nearly 100 tennis players, including players from both the womens and mens ECU tennis teams, braved the cold Saturday to support the Robinson family and learn more about Aces for Autism.
Three-year-old Samuel Robinson, diagnosed with autism at just 18 months old, was the honored guest of the day.
Aces for Autism was started by friends of Kyle and Bobbie Robinson, Samuels parents. Kyle is the director of mens basketball at East Carolina University under head coach Jeff Lebo.
Samuel receives his doctor-recommended therapy at an ABA center in Winston-Salem, accompanied by his mother. The two return on Fridays to be with Kyle in Greenville, then return to Winston-Salem each Sunday.
The event gave the Robinsons an opportunity to meet other parents of eastern North Carolina children with autism.
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Aces for Autism tournament nets big results