On Thursday evening, January 22, 1998, the Association in Manhattan for Autistic Children (AMAC) will be holding a fund-raiser Cigar Dinner. The event will be held at the Financial Center Marriott and will feature a four-course dinner with a choice of entree, an open bar featuring wines, beer, champagne, brandy, soft drinks, and, of course, premium cigars. A fine wine and cigar and cigar accessory auction will also be held. The event will begin at 7 P.M. Attendance is limited to the first 150 people to register.

Autism is a severe developmental disability, affecting approximately 10 children per 10,000 births. Autism can be a life-long and crippling disorder. Virtually all areas of functioning can be affected. Persons with autism may violently resist attempts at interaction, may fail to learn to speak or otherwise communicate, may not learn even such basic self-help skills as toileting, and may engage in severe self-injury or aimless perseverative behavior. Without intensive intervention, most individuals with autism require custodial care for their entire lives.

AMAC is a non-profit organization providing intensive services for people with autism. We run two pre-schools, a school-age program, Summer camp, weekend respite, supported employment and other programs.
We have been in existence since 1961, and have been a very successful agency. Many of our students have been able to lose the diagnosis of autism and enter mainstream environments. AMAC serves over 300 families. We are primarily funded by government sources that, as you probably know, have significantly dried up in the last several years. We periodically run fund-raisers to try to make up at least some of this lost revenue. The amount and quality of treatment and teaching we can provide depends upon these private fund-raising efforts.

Donations have been coming in to help make this event a success. Premium cigars have been donated by JR Tobacco, Cigar Express, Stogey Joe's, Mom's Cigars, and others. Fine humidors from Diamond Crown and Johnathon Thomas have been donated for our auctions and raffles. Accessories from Oshkosh Humidors and elsewhere have also come in for the event.

For further information please contact me by email,  or by phone at our Manhattan location. That number is (212) 645-5005 (Ext. 303). Again, thank you for the support that will make this event a success.

Sincerely yours,

Bobby Newman, Ph.D.