6th Annual Catwalk to Camp Raises over $190K for Camp Royall

 

The Autism Society of North Carolina’s (ASNC’s) Camp Royall is our nation’s oldest and largest camp for individuals with autism. The camp provides year-round activities—such as Summer Camp, Family Fun Days, Adult Retreats, Afterschool Programs, and Teen Tuesday—where individuals with autism enjoy doing all the things they like to do and are loved for exactly who they are. The evening’s gala  raises funds for families who otherwise may not be able to financially send their child or loved-one to this beautifully scenic and fully equipped camp, located in Moncure, NC.

Highlights of the evening included renowned guest speaker, Dr. Temple Grandin, who was diagnosed with autism as a child in the early 1950s. Surpassing many challenges, she emerged to become a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University where she has served for over 20 years. As an inventor, her design for a humane livestock restraint system is now used on nearly half the cattle in the United States. Grandin’s story as scientist, inventor, and author is so remarkable that HBO made a  7-Emmy Award winning movie about her life in which  “Autism gave her a vision. She gave it a voice.”

Premiere’s President, Jeff Woodlief, and his wife Kimberly, are pictured with Dr. Grandin.

For Jeff and Kimberly, as well as the staff at Premiere Communications & Consulting, the ASNC and Camp Royall means much more than the success of a one-night event. It is a year-round commitment.

According to Jeff who serves on the ASNC Board of Directors, “ It’s my hope that in some small way, Premiere’s partnership with ASNC is able to make a difference, a contribution that will help make someone’s life better.”

To make that happen, the company has been a year-round, go-to partner for ASNC since 2012, involving all of its employees. Premiere’s leaders not only support ASNC financially and with their time, they also connect ASNC with others who might become supporters or offer employment opportunities for adults on the spectrum. The staff is encouraged to volunteer and to make their donations through payroll deduction, which the company matches. Camp Royall, especially, has been a beneficiary of Premiere’s dedication through annual work days. Premiere’s employees have rewired the camp offices, adding data ports and new phone lines, donated a work truck, and built a wheelchair-accessible ramp. And, their passion for a cause they believe in continues.

Jeff shares his love of Camp Royall with his staff as this photo depicts.

“The first time I visited the camp and witnessed firsthand the skits that the kids had worked on all week was a very powerful thing—to see the excitement and joy that camp brings not only to the campers but also to the family members is invaluable,” Jeff says. “It’s so important to have a place where kids can come together, be social, have fun, learn to belong, and make life-long friends.” For more information about ASNC and Camp Royall, please visit https://www.autismsociety-nc.org/