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Sadler Honors Charlotte Students For Autism Activism

-Driver Donates Resources, Funds to First Student Club for Autism Speaks in Southeast-

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.

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