Alpha Xi Delta Celebrates 10-Year Partnership with Autism Speaks

Published: April 02, 2019

Indianapolis, IN – April 2, 2019 marks the 10th anniversary of Alpha Xi Delta’s partnership with Autism Speaks. Since the partnership began, Alpha Xi Delta members have collectively raised more than $9 million for Autism Speaks.

Alpha Xi Deltas support Autism Speaks through national fundraising campaigns, Autism Speaks Walk events and by hosting local fundraisers on college campuses and in their communities. Members also support Autism Speaks by increasing the understanding and acceptance of autism spectrum disorders. These efforts include:

  • Letters of Love, a national letter writing fundraiser. In 2018, Alpha Xi Deltas raised $200,000 for Autism Speaks through this campaign.

  • AmaXIng Challenges, Alpha Xi Delta’s signature fundraising event on college campuses. Each chapter is required to host at least one AmaXIng Challenge event per year.

  • Alpha Xi Delta is the National Walk Partner for all Autism Speaks Walk events, located in more than 80 cities in North America. Members volunteer at Walk events and create fundraising teams.

  • Alpha Xi Deltas observe World Autism Month throughout April by wearing blue, participating in local Light It Up Blue campaigns and hosting autism-friendly events to increase understanding and acceptance of autism.

“When we began our partnership with Autism Speaks in 2009, Alpha Xi Delta was looking to support a cause that aligned with our mission and values, and that had a personal connection to our membership,” said Elysia Gallivan, National Executive Director. “I am beyond proud of the work our members are doing to support our partnership with Autism Speaks. To be a first-hand witness to the amount of growth this partnership has taken on in the past 10 years is astonishing.”

Thanks in part to the fundraising efforts of Alpha Xi Delta members in 2018, Autism Speaks was able to:

  • Engage 16.3 million people in 172 countries to increase understanding and acceptance of autism during April.
  • Advocate for a $2 billion increase in the National Institute of Health autism research budget.
  • Provide nearly 300,000 families access to the M-CHAT-R Risk Assessment Tool for children 16 to 30 months.
  • Champion ABLE tax-free reaching $100 Million in tax-advantaged funds helping people with autism.

For more information about Autism Speaks, please visit www.autismspeaks.org.

About Alpha Xi Delta
Founded in 1893 at Lombard College, now Knox College, in Galesburg, Illinois, Alpha Xi Delta inspires women to realize their potential by providing opportunities for Sisterhood, leadership, knowledge and service. The national women’s fraternity has more than 175,000 initiated members and chapters on 130 college campuses. For more information on Alpha Xi Delta Fraternity, visit www.alphaxidelta.org.

About Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. We do this through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions.