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

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Aug. 19 /EMWNews/ -- Michigan's leading charity

for autism, Jack's Place for Autism, will hold its 4th Annual "Autism

Awareness Day" September 9 at Comerica Park, it was announced today.



    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 http://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 on Michigan 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 in Michigan

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.