San Diego Hosts 4th Annual ONEHOPE ACT Today! for Military Families 5k/10k Run/Walk & Family Festival, Benefiting Military Children with Autism

ACT Today! (Autism Care and Treatment Today!) announces its 4th Annual ONEHOPE ACT Today! for Military Families 5k/10k Run/Walk & Family Festival will be held on Saturday, April 19th at Tecolote Shores Park in Mission Bay, San Diego. The charitable event is open to the community and will benefit military families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The event also celebrates National Autism Awareness Month and the Month of the Military Child.

ACT Today! is a national, non-profit organization whose mission is to raise awareness and provide treatment services and support to families to help their children with autism achieve their full potential. These services include therapy, medical care, social skills programs, assistive technology and safety equipment, to name a few. ACT Today! created the ACT Today! for Military Families (ATMF) program in 2010 to extend support to military families with children with autism.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 1 in 88 children in America has autism, making it more prevalent than pediatric cancer, juvenile diabetes and childhood AIDS combined.

“We’re asking the greater San Diego community to join us on April 19th and help the families of those who serve and defend our freedoms,” says Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson, ACT Today! executive director. “Military families are often relocated and those with children with special needs experience significant treatment gaps in care and support. Funds raised through this event will allow us to bridge that gap and help lighten the load military families carry.”

Participants of the 4th Annual ONEHOPE ACT Today! for Military Families 5k/10k Run/Walk & Family Festival will enjoy  a scenic 5k, 10k (both chip-timed) or 1 mile fun run. After crossing the finish line, they can celebrate at the family festival hosted by actor/comedian Mark Christopher Lawrence (“Glee” and “Chuck”), featuring live entertainment, wine provided by ONEHOPE Wine & beer (for those 21 and over), over 35 vendor booths, kids egg hunt and a kids’ zone (inflatables, carnival games, face painting, arts & crafts).

ONEHOPE returns as the event’s Title Sponsor for the second consecutive year. "We have worked with ACT Today! for the past four years and are continually impressed with the ACT Today! for Military Families 5k/10k Run/Walk & Family Festival. The event gives families the opportunity to have fun together while also raising money for continued treatment, and we are honored to be a part of it," says Tom Leahy, ONEHOPE president.

Along with ONEHOPE, other corporate sponsors of this year’s event (as of February 21, 2014) are: USAA, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, NBC 7 San Diego, Sea World San Diego, ValeriesList.com, ACES, and Puritas Organic Gold.

For more information about the 4th Annual ONEHOPE ACT Today! for Military Families 5k/10k Run/Walk & Family Festival, visit: www.acttodayformilitaryfamilies.kintera.org.

About ACT Today!:

ACT Today! (Autism Care and Treatment Today!) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources and funding to families of children with autism who cannot afford or access the necessary tools their children need to reach their full potential. For more information about ACT Today!, visit: www.act-today.org.

About ACT Today! for Military Families:

ACT Today! for Military Families (ATMF), is a national program of ACT Today!. It was launched in July 2010. ATMF works to improve awareness and delivery of effective autism services, and provides financial assistance to military families to help defray out-of-pocket costs associated with autism treatments, services, and other quality-of-life programs. For more information about ACT Today! for Military Families, visit: www.acttodayformilitaryfamilies.org.

About ONEHOPE:

 ONEHOPE is a social enterprise that integrates causes and impact into every business it touches. ONEHOPE has expanded their business and foundation due to the success with their cornerstone product ONEHOPE Wine, of which half of the profits go to a different cause for each varietal of wine sold. Since launching into the wine industry 5 years ago, ONEHOPE has developed additional products, brands and experiences including - Hope at Home, ONEHOPE Weddings, and ONEHOPE Coffee. ONEHOPE is headquartered in Southern California and has formed partnerships with notable nonprofits that support many distinct causes. Some of the causes and organizations include breast cancer prevention and treatment (National Breast Cancer Foundation), pediatric AIDS prevention and treatment (Keep A Child Alive), Autism care and treatment (ACT Today!), US forest preservation and protection (American Forests), and ending childhood hunger (Share Our Strength). ONEHOPE not only produces its own cause-centric products and services but also is the creator and leading provider of consulting services for companies small to large on Cause-Centric Commerce. For more information, visit: www.onehopewine.com.

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