Fundraiser canceled...

This week there has been lots of coverage over the fundraiser at Chili's to support the National Autism Association (NAA).  Chili's unfortunately decided to cancel the event suddenly due to feedback they received from guests.  I was very sad and disappointed in Chili's decision.  The fundraiser schedule for Monday was to fund the Big Red Box/ FOUND programs, which is a programs to help those with a loved one who is prone to wandering...  

"The National Autism Association is committed to those with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who may be prone to wandering off or eloping from a safe environment, and may be unable to recognize danger and/or stay safe. Wandering, elopement, “running” or fleeing behaviors among those within our community not only present unique safety risks, but also create extraordinary worry and stress among caregivers. Drowning fatalities following wandering incidents remain a leading cause of death among those with ASD." 

Jack has made lots of progress in terms of wandering, but it's something that is still a major concern for our family.  Jack has wandered once in his lifetime and we are very grateful that we found him quickly and safe.  Some children and adults with ASD who elope are not as lucky.  

We have had to make adjustments to our home to hopefully prevent any further wandering incidents.  The exterior doors to our home have deadbolt locks that are placed high and out of reach, and are locked at all time when we are home. We recently had to install a lock on the door to the garage because we discovered Jack is now tall enough to reach the garage door button.  The back fence gate has a lock on it and can only be opened from the front yard side of the fence.  The windows in his room and playroom have safety locks in place that will only allow the windows to open to a safe distance.  

Jack doesn't have a sense of danger and he doesn't understand that leaving the safety of his home could be dangerous.  He is also unaware of the importance of not wandering away from us in public.  His lack of verbal and social skills can make situations like this even more terrifying.  This is the case with many individuals with Autism.  Wandering is not the result of bad or neglectful parenting, it is a reality for many families and can happen in the blink of an eye.

The NAA has many helpful programs for families living with Autism and work hard at providing families with helpful resources.  There stance on vaccine induced autism is only one aspect of this organization, and I do not wish to get into that debate at this time. There are many Autism organizations that collect thousands of dollars from fundraisers and the people who need help never see a dime of that money.  This organization helps in a real way and the money Chili's could have raised would have benefited many families.  

I am sorry Chili's got bullied into pulling out of this great fundraising opportunities and I hope they can do something in the future to make up for this (IMHO) mistake.  I believe the post the NAA put on there FB page spoke volumes about the type of organization they are and I plan to continue supporting them and other organizations that help families like ours!

Thank you to all of our supporters, and thank you to Chili's for taking a chance on us. Though NAA has changed our mission and efforts in recent years to focus on autism safety, namely wandering prevention, controversial views about vaccines remained on our website. Because of guest feedback about these views, Chili's has opted to cancel tomorrow's event. We respect their decision and ask everyone to please speak words of love and kindness. NAA has evolved as our children's needs have evolved. Our Big Red Safety Box Program very much helps protect children and adults with autism from wandering-related emergencies. We will continue to provide boxes as funding becomes available. Again, thank you for your support and your positive messages that represent our entire autism community.  #Love #Hope #NeverGiveUp

► Please note: Chili's leadership team has made the difficult decision to cancel Monday's Give Back Event. Chili's remains committed to supporting the children and families affected by autism and so this decision was not made lightly. As you know, Chili's wants to make every Guest feel special and that includes listening to feedback from their Guests about this event.

  

Click here to see an interview on the cancellation of the fundraiser with two amazing ASD mom's (one of who I have had the pleasure of meeting)