Support Autism with One Simple Vote

As an autism parent, wandering is perhaps one of the biggest fears we face. I can tell you from personal experience that there is no worse feeling than the panic of discovering your child has gotten out of the house. You can take all the precautions and be the most attentive mother in the world, but it takes only minutes- a quick bathroom break, preparing supper, loading the dishwasher. When you are near a body of water, this fear is even worse. This is why it is so important for kids on the spectrum be taught to swim. It truly saves lives. So, when my good friend and President-Elect of Autism Society San Diego -Cindy Facteau contacted me about a wonderful opportunity to show support to an amazing woman doing just that, I knew I had to help get the word out:

One click. One vote. One chance at $100,000 to improve the lives of all affected by autism!!!

Please take a moment to read this post, cast your vote, and share with your friends.

Tammy Anderson-Lee is the founder of Aqua Pros Swim School and the Autism Society San Diego's Surf Camp for individuals with autism. She's written a book called "Swimming With Autism," and has made it her life's work to teach people with Autism how to swim and navigate water safely. She currently sits as a director at-large on the Autism Society San Diego's board of directors, and has selflessly given her time and expertise to this organization and our community.

As many of you likely know, wandering is very common with individuals who have autism. Many times, they are also attracted to water, and this can be a recipe for tragedy in many cases, particularly when the individual cannot swim. Tammy's programs are saving lives, and to date, she has taught hundreds of persons affected by autism how to be safe in the water. This is a gift more precious than gold to our community, and Tammy is even more special to us all because she has no direct connection to Autism herself. She's just a great person with a phenomenal heart and one heck of an inspiring mission. She cares about each of our kids like they are her own...and it shows in the quality of the programs she develops.

Tammy is also a NASCAR fan, and every year, the NASCAR Foundation awards the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award to one NASCAR fan who exemplifies the spirit of the foundation's philanthropic efforts. If she gets the highest number of votes, she will win $100,000 for the Autism Society San Diego, her chosen grassroots charity. The Autism Society San Diego is a 501C3 nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all affected by autism. Their entire board is all-volunteer, and they have only one paid employee. This enables the organization to dedicate nearly 100% of donations directly to serving families and individuals through bilingual support groups in multiple locations, family recreation programs, summer camps, information/awareness and support training for local businesses and institutions that service families, grants and scholarships, and many other opportunities that families would otherwise not have access to. 

Voting is open until December 4th, and you can vote daily. Tammy is the only finalist who represents an autism organization, so we ask all of our friends and fans to please...vote for Tammy using the link below. Share with your social networks (copy and paste this description to share with the link), and vote daily. Thank you so much in advance for your support! For more information about the Autism Society San Diego and the inspiring work they're doing to make the world a better place for those affected by autism, please check out their website at www.autismsocietysandiego.org 

Thank you in advance for your support! A vote for Tammy is a vote for ALL of our families!

http://www.nascar.com/awards