NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Comerica Park to Hold Fourth Annual Autism Awareness Day on September 9, 2008 hosted by Jack's Place for Autism

Through support of The Detroit Tigers, Detroit Tigers Foundation and Pepsi, Jack's Place was able to provide 400 game tickets to people and families impacted by autism. The charity is also selling an additional 500 tickets to generate awareness of autism and provide direct help to families through health and support programs.

Tickets to the Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics evening game are still available for just $25.00 and can be purchased by calling Jack's Place at 248-443-7427 or visiting www.jacksplaceforautism.com . Tickets are limited and advance purchase is required.

"The Detroit Tigers have been very supportive of our cause and we encourage baseball fans to buy tickets to support families in our area impacted by autism," said Lisa Price, President and Co-founder of Jack's Place for Autism.

"This is a great way to both cheer on the Tigers and support families impacted by autism," said Price. "With autism being diagnosed in 1 out of 150 children today it is striking all levels of our society and putting a great strain onMichigan families."

For the fourth year in a row, Jack's Place for Autism will donate 400 tickets to individuals and families impacted by autism. The charity is also selling tickets to the game to the general public to raise money for its programs that directly assist area families. Jack's Place for Autism's mission is to help families with their special and demanding daily living needs, not to find a cause or a cure for autism. All monies raised by Jack's Place are used in Southeastern,Michigan.

"The children really seem to interact very well with the excitement of the crowd in Comerica Park," said Price. "It's also a great treat for families who rarely get a chance to get out of the house. Attending this game is a great joy to autism families and an important way to show support for their daily struggles."

Price praised The Tigers for supporting Jack's Place for Autism and other charities with complimentary tickets each season. "The generosity of the Tiger organization and its sponsors is of great help to families and organizations in our community who are in need," said Price. "This venue also allows us to bring our supporters out for a great time at the ballpark to support autism programs that are so desperately needed."

Jack's Place for Autism is proud of its history and role in establishing numerous programs for families dealing with the Autism Spectrum Disorder going back to 2004. Jack's Place was founded to help families and the community deal with the daily living aspects of the Autism disorder. Jack's Place was not founded to search for a cause, nor to search for a cure. Our mission is and remains to provide practical, effective and cost-effective methods of helping families enrich the lives of children and adults with autism.

Price added that the organization is "grounded in our mission at Jack's Place for Autism and we are focused and excited about our future and we need you to be a part of it. Jack's Place for Autism is based inMichigan and all of our programs and monies raised here are spent here for the benefit of Michigan families. While we are grateful to many national autism programs for raising general awareness, those programs have little benefit to families who need help now."

Jack's Place began as an idea by Jim and Lisa Price. Jim, current broadcaster and former player for the Detroit Tigers and his wife Lisa learned about Autism after many visits to several doctors who were unable to make an accurate diagnosis of their son, Jack. After finally receiving an accurate assessment of their son they began a difficult journey to find resources that would allow them to be best prepared for the years ahead. Lisa and Jim founded Jack's Place for Autism not to find a cure or a cause but to help families in Michigan who must deal with the impact of the Autism Spectrum Disorder on their daily lives. The children need special attention, programs for development and assistance with everyday living.

What they discovered was very little education or support services available to families going through this world changing issue. Few people in the community understood what Autism was and what they were going through. After experiencing first-hand the difficulties of finding support and resources for their own son, the Prices wanted to establish a vehicle for families to gain access to existing resources and to create additional services that were not available to families affected by autism.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): What is Autism? Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, autism and its associated behaviors have been estimated to occur in 1 in 150 births, Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than girls and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries. Family income, lifestyle, and educational levels do not affect the chance of autism's occurrence.

SOURCE Jack's Place for Autism