Solutions |News Letter

KU takes the tiger by the tail to win 2010 Border Challenge for Autism


Addison McRae, 3, a die-hard KU fan, shows Truman who's boss!

More than 230 University of Missouri (MU) and University of Kansas (KU) fans gathered at the Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, MO on Wednesday, April 7, 2010, to support their favorite school and to raise money for autism research, training and treatment at the Border Challenge for Autism II. Hosted by Sports Radio 810 WHB deejays Steven St. John and Nate Bukaty, the Border Challenge pits KU fans against MU fans to see which school can get the most people to attend the fundraiser. Ticket sales and proceeds from a silent auction resulted in the event raising $10,000 to benefit the Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (KCART) and the MU Thompson Center for Autism. The amount of money each center receives from the event depends on the number of attendees from their respective school. This year, KU was able to slide past MU to claim victory by posting 122 attendees while MU made a great showing with 101. Because KU won the challenge KCART will receive $6,000 while the MU Thompson Center will receive $4,000.


KU beat MU in the 2010 Border Challenge for Autism

The Border Challenge for Autism is one of several community events sponsored by a Kansas City not-for-profit organization called Project Change. The goal of Project Change is to raise awareness of local charities and those in need by connecting volunteers throughout Kansas City and challenging them to make a positive change in their community. The brainchild of long-time sales representative Beverly McAule, who wanted to make a difference in her local community, Project Change brings together a variety of architectural and design professionals to create teams. The teams, fifteen in all, are challenged to create and perform multiple community service projects within a 4-month time frame. In 2009 more than 200 companies in the Kansas City area participated in Project Change and raised more than $50,000. This money benefited more than 40 charities, including KCART and the MU Thompson Center.

While Mizzou didn’t claim victory in this year’s Border Challenge, Janet Farmer from the Thompson Center did win a Mizzou basketball with Coach Mike Alden’s autograph, and those living with autism scored a victory. Proceeds from this year’s event will be used by the Thompson Center and KCART to further research, treatment and diagnosis of autism and to provide training to those working with people with on the autism spectrum.

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Published by the MU Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Questions? Comments? E-mail thompsoncenter@missouri.edu