"I would want everyone who comes to our match to really appreciate the diversity of the folks on the spectrum."
RBNY President Marc de Grandpré was on WCBS | CBS New York this morning to talk about this Saturday's Autism Acceptance Match, and how important this initiative is to his family.
Come be a part of it with us.
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And a beautiful look at the city. Welcome back to CBS 2 News Sunday morning. Well, April is Autism Awareness Month, and next Saturday, the New York Red Bulls will recognize it with the team's 10th annual Autism Acceptance Match. And for the Red Bulls, awareness goes beyond just an event at the park. It starts at home. That's because Julia de Grandpre, the daughter of the team's president, is on the spectrum, and joining us this morning to speak about his daughter and the team's acceptance match is the New York Red Bulls. The resident marked Sagram Pre. Thank you for joining us here this morning. Such an important topic. I understand Julia has been a regular at the arena, also in the training facility, and you've called her interactions with the players inspirational. Can you share some of those special moments? First of all, thank you for having me this morning. Yes, she's been inspirational for the club for us. There's been so many over the years, for the last 10 years. Many of them have been meaningful for us, starting from the beginning when the club embraced Julia. As a member of the club. She can be herself, she can be. She's not Judge, she just has fun with the players and one of the most memorable moments we had as a family, my wife Kim, my son Tyler and Julie was in 2017 when on our autism awareness match on April 29th. If I remember correctly, we beat the Chicago Fire 21 and after the game the team invited Julie into the locker room and they gave her the game ball and all the players high 5 during. It was really a a heartwarming moment for the family and to see her be part of the team and feel like she played a small part in helping the guys get there and I know that. The head coach at the time, Jesse Marsh, had told the guys we need to win and get the game ball for Julia after the game. And so that was pretty an amazing moment for the family. Must have meant so much to you in that moment too, to see that yes, it means a lot when you see other folks embrace it, support the cause and support Julia and our family. And it's been amazing to see the entire organization rally around the little girl and also use her disability to help raise awareness and acceptance. For this and help the cause in general, I wanted to ask you about. Some of the differences that fans are going to be seeing next Saturday. What are some of those changes that might not be president at a traditional game? There's many. That's a good question. So usually we have a lot of fireworks and pyrotechnics, so those won't happen. The sound from the PA and when we score goal, everything will be lowered. Our pregame activation zone will have no music, It'll be a little bit quieter. And all the performers. So we have a band pregame that's performing. They have an autistic member in the band. The national anthem will be sung by someone who is on the spectrum. DJ Blake, a young boy from Morris Township, NJ, will be playing during the game and my daughter will be doing the coin toss. So there's a lot of good stuff going on, but it's fun, it's exciting and it provides A welcoming environment for anyone who has a family member on the spectrum. Julia is having a role in the game. Is at the coin toss. Yeah, she's doing the coin toss. She thinks this is her game. She's been talking about it for a while that she's very excited. She's practicing her coin toss flipping ability. She's getting there, but she's excited to be there and she she embraces the moment. For herself, her friends who are on the spectrum, and for the cause itself. I know this is so personal for you, so much so that you gave up your office, as I understand it, just to make sure that people with autism are in an area where they could feel comfortable. Tell us more about that. So in 2017, I believe one of our PR managers came to the office and said, hey, the Cleveland Cavaliers just opened up a sensory room at their arena. They were the first one in North America. We were the second ones. So when that happened, then our community relations. And got involved and we had no space in the stadium to create this, this environment for these families. So I had a beautiful office on the 5th floor overlooking the pitch said let's take my office, I'll move down, sit with the rest of the team. And we created a sensory room. That's amazing because the families, anyone who's at the game and their family member gets overwhelmed. They can go up to the the the space up on the 5th floor, relax and still watch the game, which is really important for us. We wanted the families to be able to still experience the match, So that was important for us so. We did that. We were the second team in professional sports to do this and we're really proud of what we've accomplished. That is such an accomplishment and I'm sure so appreciated. I love the inclusivity that you have. I see some items here. Are these headphones also an important part? Do you mind just Yes. So everyone who comes to the arena Saturday who has a loved one on the spectrum will get a little bag from Hackensack, Meridian Health and they'll have these headsets to obviously dampen the sound. They're going to have pets to help kids or family members relax, a squeeze ball. Those are all things that kids on the Spectrum used to, hopefully. Regulate and calm down. And on top of that, we'll have a quiet zone downstairs in the stadium to make sure there's enough room for everyone to be accommodated and our quiet room upstairs also. So we're really proud of our partner Hackensack Meridian Health to to support this cause with us and wonder mark what you would hope for people who maybe haven't had experience with someone on the autism spectrum in their own life, either attending that particular match or not, or even just hearing you speak today, What is it that you would want them to know? It's a great question and important one. I would want everyone who comes to our match to really appreciate the diversity of the folks on the spectrum. Be patient. Respect them because they all have a gift to share with all of us and it's important for them to feel embraced, welcome, and be included in the community. We have a lot of folks on the spectrum and they're all going to mature out of the system at some point. We're going to have to find jobs for these individuals and give them opportunities to let their qualities shine, and I want everyone to embrace them, welcome them, and give them a great experience. Such a wonderful message. Mark, thank you so much for being here and sharing this with us. We appreciate it. Thank you very much for having me. Sounds like winner lose. The team is gonna probably take away the the best feeling from this game. Yes, let's hope so. Absolutely. Yeah. 10th annual Autism Acceptance Match presented by Hackensack Meridian Health takes place next Saturday. The New York Red Bulls take on the Chicago Fire starting at 7:30. Autism can will receive a $3 donation for every ticket sold. We'll be right back.
Once again Marc scores a goal. Great interview highlighting all the positives of the awareness peogram.
I had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know Julia; a wonderful loving person.
Great job Marc
OUTSTANDING work by the Red Bulls Organization. As a volunteer I worked one of these game. Everyone that entered that game was treated with great respect and professionalism . It was a Honor to work that game.
Bob Yuzuik
What a wonderful gesture for Marc de Grandpré to give up his office to be used as a sensory room for people on the spectrum when they visit Red Bull Arena!!
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These numbers cannot, should not, be simply ignored. There is enough data and studies done to suggest a link to childhood vaccines. For me three things are obvious. One, there is a huge surge in autism starting in the late 60's. Two, we are being asked to trust the same system that brought us the whole covid fiasco. Three, this same system is compliant in many instances whereby the products given to people caused great harm, and death. My conclusion, the whole medical system, the health boards and oversight agencies are broken and must be blown up and re-established with new laws to ensure big pharma is not incharge of testing its own products, it's that it is liable for damages from said products. And that the revolving door for management between them and the Healt agencies is slammed shut permanently....it's the same old problem. Follow the money. And that problem is destroying our great institutions, and big companies, And it's gotta stop.
Mentor To 1% Dads | Washed-up NASA scientist | NOT Another LinkedIn Dad | No longer training for 3rd 100-miler |
You know you're a 1% Dad when you use today as a reality check
Reality such as the kids we work so hard for are in real trouble:
Autism in kids: 1 in 10000 to 1 in 36 to 1 in 25
And you're celebrating July 4th?
Dads... there's nothing to celebrate
But in case you do...
Make sure to celebrate the 1 in 36
If we're going to appreciate all of America
Let's appreciate the part that matters most
The reason we go to work at all...
Our kids
P.S. You know you're a 1% Dad when you use today as a reality check
Rather than focusing on changing people with autism to fit into societal norms of behavior and communication, the emphasis is on accepting and understanding them for who they are.
Autism Acceptance Month serves as a reminder to celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of individuals with ASD. By promoting acceptance, understanding, and support, we can create a more inclusive society.
A great pace to start is with the book, "Untypical" by Pete Wharmby who writes about "How the world isn't built for autistic people and what we should all do about it"
See how TYGES supports the autistic community >>> https://lnkd.in/evKE2wDP
The Safety on the Spectrum™: First Responder Program is a national effort to promote safe and equitable interactions between First Responders and the Autism Community. Leveraging a “train-the-trainer” approach, the Autism Society will impact positive change at a national level through grassroots efforts and local leadership. https://smpl.is/909a3
What can I do to support World Autism Acceptance Week? 💭
Pioneered by The National Autistic Society, World Autism Acceptance Week is an opportunity to raise awareness and promote acceptance on a global scale. Supporting this important week can be as easy as mentioning it to a friend, but if you're looking for ways to get involved, read the guidance below ⬇️
Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e4CKYtnz#WAAW24#AutismAcceptanceWeek
What can I do to support World Autism Acceptance Week? 💭
Pioneered by the National Autistic Society, World Autism Acceptance Week is an opportunity to raise awareness and promote acceptance on a global scale. Supporting this important week can be as easy as mentioning it to a friend, but if you're looking for ways to get involved, read the guidance below ⬇️
Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e4CKYtnz#WAAW24#AutismAcceptanceWeek
Episode 3 of 'Let's Talk Autism' is live!
Join Marufa, Magan, and Noel as they dive into a discussion about cultural differences in autism representation.
Explore the varied perspectives as they shed light on the importance of diverse narratives.
https://lnkd.in/eeagbr_d
Here an article about an organization that aims to deliver education and activities to students who are on the autism spectrum, in a unique way that helps foster social skills and confidence while building character, resilience and creativity.
https://lnkd.in/eRD8Rd95
Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAoM) is ready to move forward with a new logo that gives both the autism community and AAoM a symbol that embodies a shared vision, spirit, and values.
Click the link to learn more about our logo refresh: https://lnkd.in/gyD7D-W
Marketing Dana Cup ✅ Fortuna ✅ ECA Women’s Football Member
3moLove this, great work, respect to New York Red Bulls 😀