CHARLOTTE, NC (May 21) –
NASCAR driver Elliott Sadler
and Best Buy employees
visited the Phillip O. Berry
Academy of Technology in
Charlotte on Wednesday
afternoon to honor students
for raising awareness and
funds for autism, and for
starting the first Student
Club for Autism Speaks (SCAS)
chapter in the southeast.
Sadler, driver of the No.
19 Best Buy Dodge in the
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series,
addressed a group of
students who have raised
funds for Autism Speaks to
thank them for their efforts
on behalf of a cause that’s
very dear to him.
“My nine year-old niece,
Halie, was diagnosed with
autism a little over six
years ago,” Sadler told the
students. “At the time, we
didn’t know what autism was.
We literally had to look it
up in an encyclopedia. Since
then, we’ve worked very hard
to raise awareness and funds
to help those with autism.
To see young people giving
their time and effort to
this cause means a lot. I’m
honored to be here today to
meet all of you, and I thank
you for your hard work.”
Sadler was joined by
representatives of Autism
Speaks and NASCAR on FOX
reporter Steve Byrnes at the
event. Autism Speaks is the
official charity of NASCAR
on FOX, and the network is
broadcasting the Best Buy
400 benefiting Student Clubs
for Autism Speaks Sprint Cup
race from Dover
International Speedway on
Sunday, June 1.
Sadler and Byrnes
presented the group with a
plaque in recognition of the
students founding the first
SCAS in the southeast. Best
Buy employees donated
products to help the club
get started in the form of
digital and video cameras,
software and color printers,
as well as a gift card.
Sadler then added to the
donation total when he
announced a contribution
from his charitable
foundation to the SCAS
chapter.
Afterwards, Byrnes and
Sadler assisted students in
their volunteer efforts by
compiling information
packets for an upcoming Walk
Now for Autism event that
will be held at Lowe’s Motor
Speedway in Concord, N.C.,
in October.
Students then took Sadler
and Byrnes on a tour of the
facility, where they met
students from the Academy of
Medical Sciences and
Biotechnology and fielded
racing and
automotive-related questions
from students in the Academy
of Engineering.
“This is really an
amazing place,” Sadler said.
“I’ve met some incredible
people, from the principal
and instructors to some
really wonderful students.
I’ve visited a lot of
schools, but I’ve never seen
anything like this. I’m very
appreciative of what they’re
teaching these teenagers,
not only in the classroom,
but also in how to give back
to the community.”
"The tremendous
generosity Elliott, Best Buy
and FOX showed today will
enable this Student Club to
make great strides in
raising awareness and funds
for autism," said Michelle
Preslar, the Carolinas Walk
Director for Autism Speaks.
"And their recognition of
the students' hard work will
undoubtedly inspire other
youth around the country to
join or start a Student Club
for Autism Speaks in their
own school."
Autism Speaks is
dedicated to increasing
awareness of autism spectrum
disorders, to funding
research into the causes,
prevention and treatments
for autism, and to
advocating for the needs of
individuals with autism and
their families.
SCAS helps further the
mission of Autism Speaks by
creating the opportunity for
students to engage and
actively participate in
positively affecting the
lives of people with autism.
Through education,
awareness, friendship and
fundraising, SCAS includes
students at the middle
school, high school and
college level.
For more information
about Autism Speaks, or to
find out how to start a
student club in your
teenager’s school, visit
www.autismspeaks.org.
# # #
About Autism
Autism is a complex brain
disorder that inhibits a
person's ability to
communicate and develop
social relationships, and is
often accompanied by extreme
behavioral challenges.
Autism spectrum disorders
are diagnosed in one in 150
children in the United
States, affecting four times
as many boys as girls. The
diagnosis of autism has
increased tenfold in the
last decade. The Centers for
Disease Control and
Prevention have called
autism a national public
health crisis whose cause
and cure remain unknown.
About Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is
dedicated to increasing
awareness of autism spectrum
disorders, to funding
research into the causes,
prevention and treatments
for autism, and to
advocating for the needs of
individuals with autism and
their families. It was
founded in February 2005 by
Suzanne and Bob Wright, the
grandparents of a child with
autism. Bob Wright is Senior
Advisor at Lee Equity
Partners and served as vice
chairman, General Electric,
and chairman and chief
executive officer of NBC
Universal for more than
twenty years. To learn more
about Autism Speaks, please
visit www.autismspeaks.org.
About Best Buy Co., Inc.
Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY)
operates a global portfolio
of brands with a commitment
to growth and innovation.
Our employees strive to
provide customers around the
world with superior
experiences by responding to
their unique needs and
aspirations. We sell
consumer electronics,
home-office products,
entertainment software,
appliances and related
services through
approximately 1,200 retail
stores across the United
States, throughout Canada
and in China. Our
multi-channel operations
include: Best Buy (BestBuy.com,
BestBuy.ca and
BestBuy.com.cn), Future Shop
(FutureShop.ca), Geek Squad
(GeekSquad.com and
GeekSquad.ca), Pacific Sales
Kitchen and Bath Centers (PacificSales.com),
Magnolia Audio Video (Magnoliaav.com),
Jiangsu Five Star Appliance
Co. (Five-Star.cn) and
Speakeasy (Speakeasy.net).
Best Buy supports the
communities in which its
employees work and live
through volunteerism and
grants that benefit children
and education.
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