San Diego, CA (PRWEB) February 20, 2015
ACT Today! (Autism Care and Treatment Today!) announces its 5th Annual ONEHOPE ACT Today! for Military Families 5k/10k Run/Walk & Family Festival will be held on Saturday, March 28th at Tecolote Shores Park in Mission Bay, San Diego. The charitable event is open to the entire community and will benefit military families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Since 2011, the event has raised over $400,000 in autism care and treatment for military children.
ACT Today! is a national, nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide immediate and direct help to children with autism whose families can not afford or access the necessary tools their children need to reach their highest potential. These tools include Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy, medical care, social skills programs, assistive technology, assistance dogs, and many more. Its program ACT Today! for Military Families (ATMF) was created in 2010 to extend support to military families with children with autism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 1 in 68 children in America is diagnosed with autism, making it more prevalent than pediatric cancer, juvenile diabetes and childhood AIDS combined.
The military family is faced with exceptional challenges with a child or multiple children with autism. The average military family relocates every 2 years, especially stressful for children on the autism spectrum with rigid behaviors. Each time a family relocates, they face a complex maze of service options. And often, a parent in the armed services is deployed overseas or away on training, leaving the care to the remaining parent at home. Were asking the greater San Diego community to join us on March 28th and help the families of those who serve and defend our freedoms, says Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson, ACT Today! executive director. In addition, the funds raised will literally save lives as the event will fund the Autism Swim Safety Camp for Military Children in the summer of 2015, as a result of a charity partnership between ACT Today! and Autism Society San Diego. Drowning is the number one cause of death for children with autism.
ONEHOPE president Tom Leahy said of his companies continuing support of the event The ONEHOPE ACT Today for Military Families Run and Festival is a model of our philosophy of social enterprise that integrates causes into products and services to make a social impact. We are proud to support our military families who are challenged by autism, and honor them for their service.
Participants of the 5th Annual ONEHOPE ACT Today! for Military Families 5k/10k Run/Walk & Family Festival will enjoy a scenic course and the choice between the 5k, 10k (both chip-timed) or 1 mile fun run. After crossing the finish line, they can celebrate at the family festival hosted by actor/comedian Mark Christopher Lawrence (Glee and Chuck), featuring music, wine & beer garden (must be 21+), a resource fair featuring more than 35 vendor booths, and a kids zone (featuring bounce house, carnival games, face painting, arts & crafts).
Corporate sponsors of this years event (as of February 11, 2015) are: ONEHOPE Wine, Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), Autism Speaks, UnitedHealthcare Military and Veterans, Wells Fargo, The Shape of Behavior, SeaWorld San Diego, ACES, Tolman and Wiker Insurance, Granite Investment Group, Stone Brewing Co., Woodstock's Pizza and Clif Bar. Media Sponsors are NBC 7 San Diego and KyXy 96.5 / ENERGY 103.7.
For more information about the 5th Annual ONEHOPE ACT Today! for Military Families 5k/10k Run/Walk & Family Festival , visit: http://www.acttodayformilitaryfamilies.kintera.org.
About ACT Today!: ACT Today! (Autism Care and Treatment Today!) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources and funding to families of children with autism who cannot afford or access the necessary tools their children need to reach their full potential. For more information about ACT Today!, visit: http://www.act-today.org.
About ACT Today! for Military Families: ACT Today! for Military Families (ATMF), is a national program of ACT Today!. ATMF works to improve awareness and delivery of effective autism services, and provides financial assistance to military families to help defray out-of-pocket costs associated with autism treatments, services, and other quality of life programs. For more information about ACT Today! for Military Families, visit: http://www.acttodayformilitaryfamilies.org.
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San Diego Hosts 5th Annual ONEHOPE ACT Today! for Military Families 5k/10k Run/Walk & Family Festival, Benefiting ...