Auto Dealers Association Gives $47K to Rich Center
BOARDMAN, Ohio -- A hefty donation from the Automobile Dealers Association of Eastern Ohio will help the Rich Center for Autism at Youngstown State University offset the costs of running its various programs throughout the year, officials say.
"This is an amazing partnership we have with the automobile dealers," said Lisa Long, the Rich Center's associate director of development. "This money will do so much good for the kids."
Representatives of the Rich Center and the Automobile Dealers Association were on hand Tuesday at Taylor Kia where ADEAO board members handed over a ceremonial check for $47,175 to the organization.
Long said the Rich Center's programs operate year round at no cost to the students or families. "There is no way we could do that without the support of the community and business organizations like this," she said.
The Rich Center is an institution that provides special services and educational curricula adapted for children afflicted with autism. It also provides community awareness initiatives that are intended to inform the public about the disorder.
"This is a program that is just to deal with autism with specialized and trained educators and therapists," she said.
Sixty-five students are enrolled at the Rich Center, Long says, but the number of those who are diagnosed with some form of autism is climbing every year.
"The numbers are skyrocketing," Long says. "It's one in 88 kids now, although a recent CDC study shows that it could be as high as one in 50 school-age children."
Pediatricians, parents and teachers are much more informed today than ever, and they're getting better at recognizing symptoms earlier and taking steps to address these issues at early stages.
Each year, ADEAO's President's Gala dinner raises money for charity, and this is the second year in a row that a donation has been made to the Rich Center, said Taylor Kia's Matt Taylor, president of the association.
"The Rich Center for Autism is a great charity, and it's been the charity of choice for the last couple of years," he said. The organization has also committed to donating the dinner's proceeds to the Rich Center next year, Taylor reported.
ADEAO's individual members contribute to local charities, and the dealer's organization each year makes a collective contribution as a way to assist others in the community, according to Steve Chos, ADEAO's executive vice president.
Over the last 15 years, the Automobile Dealers Association's annual event has raised $571,948 for local charities, he reported.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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