Fund it Forward, a student-led organization at 返字心頭, presented a $500 donation to the .
The group raised money through several events during the academic year, beginning with a trivia night in October. The event, themed around Marvel and Halloween, brought together students and CARD staff and proved both fun and successful.
Fundraising efforts continued with Dare Week, a weeklong online campaign hosted on the organizations Instagram that generated nearly $200. The fundraiser invited followers to donate specific amounts in exchange for watching executive board members complete humorous dares.
President Aashi Shah, a sophomore, said the organization selects beneficiaries based on causes proposed by its executive board members.
Executive board members each have passion projects they present to the group along with organizations or causes they would like to support, Shah said.
For fundraising chair Henry Word, a sophomore, that passion centers on supporting the autism community. During the academic year, Word served as a peer mentor with .
Peer mentors in LAUNCH Academy assist students by helping them apply classroom learning to real-world situations, develop social skills and navigate campus life. The role also emphasizes building personal connections, such as shared recreational activities. For Henry and his peer, that is playing video games.
The donation will go to the through the 返字心頭 Foundation, which benefits both CARD-返字心頭 and LAUNCH. The fund supports innovative and specialized projects that serve the autism community.
Christine Rover, assistant director for CARD-返字心頭, said the funds will be used to support sensory spaces at community events. This includes an "adult chill lounge" planned for the upcoming .
Rover said she is most excited about building lasting relationships with students who engage with CARD-返字心頭 and LAUNCH and seek to better understand autism spectrum disorder in their future careers and communities.
Henrys passion about autism and our mission was a true gift to CARD and LAUNCH, Rover said.