Thursday, February 2, 2012

Guilana Ricchiuti

Autism Light #142 is Guilana Ricchiuti.

Imagine someone giving up their birthday gifts and asking people instead to donate to an autism charity. That would be a wonderful thing for someone to do and it is pretty amazing when the person who actually did this is just 5 years old? Today we journey to Poland, Ohio, where 5 year old Guilana Ricchiuti is named an Autism Light for giving her birthday gifts to an autism charity dear to her heart.

In lieu of presents and gifts at her party, Guilana Ricchiuti asked her family and friends to give money for The Rich Center for Autism on her 5th birthday. The Rich Center for Autism was chosen because Guilana's Grandmother Phyllis Ricchiuti was one of the charities co-founders. Almost $400 was raised for the Rich Center for Autism thanks to Guilana's birthday sacrifice. Here is a news story on this special gift from Guilana Ricchiuti.



The Rich Center for Autism was started in 2005 and it provides many resources and services to the autism community in Ohio through its partnership with Youngstown State University. According to its website, "The primary mission of the Rich Center for Autism is to improve the lives of individuals with autism through the creation, use and enhancement of innovative educational programs specifically designed to enhance the individuals' opportunities to achieve their full potentials. The Rich Center was named in honor of Paula and Anthony Rich who died in a tragic plane crash in 1994 near Pittsburgh.

For more information on Giuliana Ricchiuti's gift see these news stories that appeared in the media.
Special thanks to Giuliana Ricchiuti for being an Autism Light and showing other children that one is never too young to raise a special gift for the needs of autism organizations.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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