ACT Today! for Military Families 2nd Annual Run/Walk & ONEHOPE Family Festival Raises Over $105,000

PRLog (Press Release) - Apr. 17, 2012 - ACT Today! (Autism Care and Treatment Today!), a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide resources, care and treatment to children with autism, announces its 2nd Annual ACT Today! for Military Families (ATMF) 5k/10k Run/Walk and ONEHOPE Family Festival raised over $105,000. The event, held on Saturday, April 7 at Mission Bay Park in San Diego, California was hosted by actor Mark Christopher Lawrence (“Chuck”), NBC San Diego Morning Anchors Jason Austell and Marianne Kushi, and ENERGY 103.7 announcer J.R. Proceeds from the Run/Walk will help provide resources and assistance to military children with autism whose families cannot afford the necessary care and treatment their children need to reach their full potential.

Approximately 1,100 individuals and families participated in the 5k,10k and Kids Fun Run. The top fundraising team was  the Red Hot Dragons which was led by Karen Driscoll who was also the the top individual fundraiser. The San Diego community came out in support of military children with autism, including Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, Fitness Ambassador Kathy Kaehler, and the San Diego Padres Friar. The Run/Walk and ONEHOPE Family Festival featured live entertainment by 2-U-NEEK and Graceland Mafia, specialty vendors, children’s activities and an egg hunt contest for children and the young at heart.

“We are so thankful that the community of San Diego to embraces this important cause, and join us in supporting the families of those who protect our freedoms,” says ACT Today!’s Executive Director Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 out of 88 children in America is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), making ASD more prevalent than juvenile diabetes, childhood cancer and pediatric AIDS combined. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal/nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. They include Autistic disorder, Rett syndrome, Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD), Pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger’s syndrome.

Sponsors of ACT Today!’s 2nd Annual 5k/10k Run/Walk and ONEHOPE Family Festival include: ONEHOPE Wine, the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Autism Speaks, NBC San Diego, ENERGY 103.7, TriWest Healthcare Alliance, Butterfly Effects, SeaWorld, Ralphs, Jersey Mike’s, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Wells Fargo, The Great Plains Laboratory, Community Coaching Center, Navy Federal Credit Union, Granite Investment Group, Spreebird Deals, Newport Rib Company, Glanbia Nutritional, and Stone Brewery.


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:  HYPERLINK "http://www.act-today.org"; wwwact-today.org.

About ACT Today! for Military Families:
ACT Today! for Military Families (ATMF), is a national program of ACT Today!. It was launched in July 2010. 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: acttodayformilitaryfamilies (dot) org.