| What is Tropical Nights? |
Tropical Nights
Saturday, April 25, 2009
"An Evening at The Biltmore Hotel"
The call to the University of Miami - Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (UM-NSU CARD), is typically the first and most important phone call a family makes when their child is newly diagnosed. "Tropical Nights" is your way to help those affected by autism and UM-NSU CARD. It is a fundraiser benefiting the programs, services and research initiatives of UM-NSU CARD. Our event is a festive celebration designed to raise awareness of autism while entertaining our guests with fine food, drinks, music, dancing, and acknowledging the tireless efforts of several important members of our community.
Tropical Nights 2009, will take place on Saturday, April 25, 2009, at The Biltmore Hotel. This year's honorees include Dr. Roberto Tuchman who is presently the director of Autism Programs at Miami Children's Hospital Dan Marino Center, Consulting Medical Director at UM-NSU CARD and an Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Our second honoree is Isabel Garcia who is currently the Executive Director of Parent to Parent and has been a longtime advocate for the rights of children with disabilities and their families.
Over the past year we have received several budget cuts. In fiscal year 2007-08 we received a mid-year budget cut of 4%. We suffered an additional 5% cut for fiscal year 2008-09, and recently received an additional 4% cut for this current year.
The overwhelming success of this event over the past six years has allowed UM-NSU CARD to maintain its services during a time of tremendous constituency growth, and for that, we are extremely grateful to our community and supporters. The money raised by Tropical Nights has allowed us to expand our services creating new programs such as:
- Expansion of our Adult Services Division
- Opening of 4th office in North Miami Beach at Nova Southeastern University
- Summer Camps and Surfing Camps
- Family Conference Scholarships
- "If I Only Had the Money" Contest for Educators
- InSync with Autism
- Family Picnics
- Graduate Student Stipends
- Social Skills Activity Groups
- Mobile Family Clinic
- and Many More!
We hope you will help us in our efforts to continue to support and expand our valuable services and programs. Please join us for a spectacular tropical-themed evening while we raise money for UM-NSU CARD and increase autism awareness.
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