University of Missouri ATO chapter raises $4,400 for autism research at the Thompson Center

By Adrienne Cornwall

A recent sunny afternoon in Columbia brought a crowd to the Alpha Tau Omega cornhole tournament in Greektown, and not just for the weather.

The Nov. 8 gathering raised $4,400 toward the Gamma Rho chapter’s endowment to benefit patients of the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders at University of Missouri.

The MU ATO chapter, which pledged a $25,000 endowment to the Thompson Center last December, is nearing its goal with help from this annual fundraiser that pits teams from various fraternities and sororities against each other in a single-elimination bean-bag toss tournament.

“The turnout and atmosphere was above my expectations,” said Signature Event Chairman Zachary Carmichael. “My goal is to finish the endowment at our annual spring event, the Tigers Standing Strong with Autism Festival.”

After determining the winners – an ATO team of Jake Skelton and Charlie Kipp — attendees paid $5 each for a barbecue buffet dinner that raised nearly two-thirds of the day’s tally.

Luke Slabaugh, the chapter’s historian, said the fraternity chose the Thompson Center as a beneficiary after learning that one of its own alumni, Bill Thompson, founded the Thompson Center in 2005 to provide cutting edge, comprehensive care to patients with autism and their families. Bill’s brother, Don, is also an ATO alumni and serves as a board member on the Thompson Foundation, which raises awareness and support for interventions, education and research for autism.

“Some of us in the chapter know the effects autism has not just on the individual, but the whole family,” Slabaugh said. “We want to contribute to the center however we can, either by volunteering there or our endowment money. It means a lot that we can make a difference in these kids’ lives.”

Money from the endowment, which the chapter expects to be fully funded within the next one to two years, will go toward scholarships for families who otherwise could not otherwise afford or have medical coverage for certain services.

“It is amazing to see the passion and energy the ATOs bring this cause,” said Thompson Center Executive Director Stephen Kanne. “We couldn’t be more pleased to partner with them to address this disorder that impacts so many individuals and their families.”

Want to donate to the ATO endowment to benefit the Thompson Center? Contact Zachary Carmichael, zkcnr8@mail.missouri.edu.