Ridgefield Park,
N.J. – Samsung’s Hope for Children national philanthropic initiative launched
Monday its Team Up for Autism program to help raise awareness and funding for
medical research, services and treatment of children with autism.
Samsung, working
in conjunction with the Dan Marino Foundation, will contribute up to $100,000
by providing a donation of $5 to the Dan Marino Foundation each time someone
spreads the word on autism through Facebook or Twitter.
Samsung has made
the process simple and is encouraging people to register their pledge of
awareness by sharing a graphic icon created for the campaign with Facebook
friends, or sending a tweet with the hash tag, #teamautism.
In the last five
years, Samsung said it has donated more than $2 million to the Dan Marino
Foundation to support the drive for improved awareness, more research, and
services for children and families living with the disorder.
According to the
Centers for Disease Control, autism is the fastest-growing developmental
disorder in the United States.
One in 110 children
lives with autism today. Through its Hope for Children initiative, Samsung
supports health, education and social-welfare programs for children throughout
the United States.
“We began our
partnership with the Marino Foundation in 2006,” said David Steel, Samsung
Electronics America strategy executive VP. “Five years later we are beginning
to see some real progress in the public’s awareness of autism and how it
impacts families. We still have a long way to go, and we realized that by
leveraging digital technologies and social media we might be able to accelerate
public education efforts.”
The program kicked
off on the heels of the Dan Marino Foundation’s WalkAbout for Autism on Jan. 29
at the Miami Dolphins’ Sun Life Stadium, which drew more than 6,000
participants. The social-action campaign will run through February.
“With more than 1
million children in the United States living with autism, including our son,
Michael, my wife Claire and I recognize the struggles families face,” said
Marino. “With the support of companies like Samsung, we are able to provide
funding, resources and, most importantly, support to people and families facing
the challenges of life with autism.”
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