FSU PC’S 13TH ANNUAL AUTISM AWARENESS AUCTION RAISES $450,000 FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

The 13th Annual Auction for Autism Awareness raised more than $50,000 to support programs and services at Florida State University Panama City’s Early Childhood Autism Program. April is Autism Awareness Month, and ECAP marks each April by hosting an auction. All proceeds go to the ECAP Butchikas Scholarship fund, which provides financial assistance to Bay County families affected by autism who need help paying for therapy.

“The money is making a measurable difference,” said Dakota Januchowski, clinical coordinator for ECAP and a board-certified behavior analyst. “Money shouldn’t be a barrier to receiving services. You have to get to them early because this is life-changing therapy at an early age.”

ECAP is a 501(c)3 non-profit early intervention and community outreach program that provides Applied Behavior Analysis services to local children with developmental delays or disabilities. It is the only local nonprofit ABA program to provide in-home, in-school and in-clinic services.

“The auction is one of ECAP’s most valuable tools for giving back to the community,” Januchowski said. “With the money raised through our yearly event, we’ve provided thousands of free therapy hours for an underserved population.”

ECAP currently serves more than 40 clients who receive an average of 6 hours a week in services. The program is based at FSU Panama City, 4750 Collegiate Drive, Panama City. For information on ECAP, visit PC.FSU.edu/ECAP. To donate, email fsuecap@pc.fsu.edu or call (850) 770-2241. All donations are tax deductible.