By Alex Sorrells / The Jambar
Autism Awareness Month is in full swing as a local church and sports-streaming company donated over $7,000 to The Paula and Anthony Rich Center for Autism.
The Ohltown United Methodist Church raised $1,640 during its Puzzle-Palooza event March 22, while Your Sports Network raised $6,000 by hosting all-star basketball and volleyball games for high school student-athletes in the area.
Jake Ellis, community engagement and event operations coordinator at the Rich Center, said that although April marks an increase in support because of Autism Awareness Month, it is satisfying to see people involved throughout the year.
“Raising community awareness about autism spectrum disorder, that’s more valuable than the actual check. People tend to be scared of things that they don’t know,” Ellis said. “The more people learn about what autism spectrum disorder is, the more comfortable they are.”
Ellis said the Rich Center is externally funded, despite being located on campus, and functions through the Ohio State Autism Scholarship and community donations.
“Our three main areas are treatment, education and research. That’s part of what we want, to take these donor dollars and expand upon what we already have,” Ellis said. “We want to be able to open our doors to people who might not even have a child in here yet.”
Ohltown UMC Pastor Jim Spatholt said he and members of the congregation wanted to look further than the church and help others within the community.
“When winter was coming about, a lot of people were doing puzzles. I thought we could somehow rally people to have a fundraiser,” Spatholt said. “It kind of fit together like a puzzle [representing the Rich Center], because that’s part of their symbol, that we’re all part of a larger puzzle.”
YSN used its annual All-Star Basketball Game to raise funds, showcasing local high school athletes in an on-court matchup, along with a skills contest to end the night.
DJ Yokley, owner and CEO of YSN, said he wanted to set an example by showing local student-athletes how they can use their capabilities and expertise to fundraise and give back to the community.
“We want to be able to provide a leadership position and show them, use your talent for good. So we’ve raised well over $20,000 for multiple organizations in the Valley,” Yokley said. “They really showed up for the basketball All-Star Games and the volleyball All-Star Game.”
Cindy Renner, Ohltown UMC finance chairperson, worked at the Youngstown Developmental Center for 35 years. Renner said she holds individuals with disabilities close to her heart, referencing her time as superintendent.
“It’s really important to provide that structure for a child that’s autistic when he’s very young, or she’s very young. That carries over in life,” Renner said.
Ellis said personalized education plans are important, as every person with autism holds characteristics unique to them, “Just like you and I.”
“Autism is not a disease, it is a disorder. We can’t go into somebody and remove it … It’s something that is lifelong,” Ellis said. “We are here to provide autism services for them and figure out a pathway to managing that — to the best of our ability — to help them in their life path.”
Yokley said this donation may be the start of a partnership with the Rich Center and encouraged others to get involved.
“There’s a way to engage, to empower and to provide hope — and help those that are in need and maybe just need a hand-up and not necessarily a hand-out,” Yokley said.