FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2016 Tropical Nights Honors Mona Nasser And Tom Whitehurst
CORAL GABLES, FL – April 12, 2016 – The University of Miami – Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (UM-NSU CARD) will host the 14th annual Tropical Nights on Saturday, May 7th at the InterContinental Miami while raising awareness and funds for South Florida autism services and programs.
More than 500 guests are expected to join event co-chairs Blake Sando from Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A. and his wife Jennifer Sando, to celebrate CARD’s excellence in serving the South Florida autism community. This year, Tropical Nights will honor two prominent CARD parents, Mona Nasser and Tom Whitehurst. Ms. Nasser will receive the Cruz-Whitehurst Advocacy Award, and Mr. Whitehurst will receive the CARD Community Leadership Award. This year’s featured artist is Rachel Olin Levy. Her piece, “Calla Lilies” (30” x 22” Gouache and watercolor), will be up for live auction at Tropical Nights. Rachel is a passionate outsider artist diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and a Non-Verbal Learning Disability. Her paintings are nature-inspired.
“Almost from the very beginning of CARD, these two amazing parents and advocates have believed in our mission, supported us in fulfilling our promise, gently guided us in new directions that needed to be explored, and inspired us to be better than we ever imagined we could be,” says Center for Autism & Related Disabilities, Executive Director Dr. Michael Alessandri. “Both are now actively forging new paths in employment and housing for adults with autism who share the same lifelong needs as their own adult children.”
This year’s focus highlights the journeys of the families of our honorees and others like them, their efforts to create innovative programming for adults with autism with significant needs, and the role CARD has played in supporting them on this journey. Guests are invited to join CARD for a cocktail reception followed by a night of fine dining, live and silent auction, dancing to the sounds from DJ1Tre AKA Michael Marino. Proceeds from this event directly benefit the lifelong services and programs of CARD which are provided to local families at no direct cost to them.
Tropical Nights is locally sponsored by Greenberg Traurig, Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A., Bilzin, Sumberg, LLP, Hogan Lovells, Coral Gables Bar Association, Paul J. DiMare Foundation, Whitehurst Advisory Group of Raymond James, Bacardi USA, Padron Cigars, and many more. Media sponsors include Brickell Magazine/Key Biscayne Magazine and The Florida Villager.
For more information about this event visit www.cardtropicalnights.org or contact Michelle Costa at 305.284.9126. For more information on CARD, please call 800.9.AUTISM, x1 (800.928.8476) or visit www.umcard.org.
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ABOUT CARD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
The University of Miami’s mission is to educate and nurture students, to create knowledge, and to provide service to our community and beyond. Committed to excellence and proud of our diversity of our University family, we strive to develop future leaders of our nation and the world. www.miami.edu.
CARD is a state-funded resource and support program dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with autism and related disabilities including deaf-blindness and pervasive developmental disorders. CARD is based at 7 universities throughout Florida including the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern University, which together form UM-NSU CARD in South Florida.
Autism is a neurological disability that affects a person’s ability to communicate, understand language, play and socially interact with others.
MEDIA CONTACT
Michelle Costa
305.301.4387
mke@miami.edu