Mayor Antonio. R. Villaraigosa and The Help Group to Honor Parent and Autism Advocate with ‘Autism Heroes Award’
Who: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Dr. Barbara Firestone (President & CEO, The Help Group, Vice Chair, California Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism), Gary Cole (Desperate Housewives, The West Wing, The Help Group National Celebrity Spokesperson), Magdalena Beltran-del Olmo (Autism Heroes Honoree), Zev Yaroslavsky (LA County Supervisor), Wendy Greuel (Los Angeles City Councilmember), Peter C. Whybrow M.D. (Director, UCLA Semel Institute).
What: In recognition of National Autism Awareness Month, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa and The Help Group President and CEO, Dr. Barbara Firestone will present The Help Group’s Autism Heroes Award to Magdalena Beltran-del Olmo for her heartfelt commitment in bringing the message of hope and help to children and families living with autism. Former Autism Heroes Award recipients Teddi and Gary Cole will be on hand to participate in the award presentation.
Magdalena Beltran-del Olmo, VP of Communications, California Wellness Foundation, her late husband Frank del Olmo, Pulitzer Prize winning Los Angeles Times journalist, and their son Frankie, are one of 38 families featured in the recently released book, Autism Heroes: Portraits of Families Meeting the Challenge, by Dr. Barbara Firestone. Born of migrant farm workers, Magdalena and Frank had great aspirations for their newborn son. When Frankie was diagnosed with high functioning autism, the couple faced the challenge head-on and worked tirelessly to help their son to reach his fullest potential. They made a commitment to be public about their experiences and to help raise awareness about the issues of autism.
ABC 7 TV will also be honored with The Help Group’s Autism Leadership Award in recognition of its extraordinary efforts to promote autism awareness. Anchor, Phillip Palmer, will be accepting the award. In conjunction with National Autism Awareness Month, ABC 7 TV has produced a one-hour special to be aired on April 26, 2008, based on Autism Heroes and the work of The Help Group.
The program will feature special remarks by Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and Los Angeles City Councilmember Wendy Greuel – both long standing supporters of The Help Group’s efforts on behalf of children with autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Peter Whybrow will formally announce the successful launch of The Help Group-UCLA Autism Research Alliance, an innovative partnership dedicated to enhancing and expanding clinical research in the education and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Musical performances by children from The Help Group’s autism schools will highlight the afternoon’s festivities.
