thompson foundation for autism: Located at the University of Missouri, Columbia, the Thompson Center works to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by autism and neurodevelopmental disorders.
vip volunteer: sarah hakes
Q| How long have you been a volunteer?
A| Nine years.
Q| What got you interested in this particular cause?
A| My former boss at Colliers International (formerly EVS Realty Advisors), Jack Reis, is regional director of philanthropy for the foundation and head of the annual gala. His fraternity brother Bill Thompson is founder of the Thompson Center. Jack came back from a meeting, called me into his office and said, “We’re going to put on a gala!” I replied that we didn’t know how to do that, and he just told me we would figure it out. We wanted to do it for the good of society and the community, and that’s how I became involved. I’ve visited the center a couple of times, and these people are just fantastic with what they do. I really love helping them, and I’ve met a lot of great people.
Q| What kind of volunteer work are you involved with?
A| This is my ninth year to serve as event co-coordinator with Jack for the annual ‘It’s In The Cards’ charity gala. For the first seven years, we didn’t have any help from an event planner. We started working with Cosmopolitan Events two years ago, which has taken some of the load off. Prior to that, it was mainly just the two of us doing everything. It’s a year-round commitment, and we work with all aspects of the event. Whenever Jack needs extra help, that’s when I come in. My assistance is geared toward my career in marketing and communications. I write the programs, get all the images, put together the PowerPoint presentation; it’s a lot of details! It’s quite a bit of personal time, but since my company supports the foundation, I work on it some during business hours. All proceeds funnel into the Thompson Foundation, which gives the money directly to the center. This way the funds don’t have to go through the university system. Our one focus with the event is to just help these families who are struggling.
Q| If you could do anything for the organization, what would it be?
A| It would be to create more awareness about the center. It’s astounding what they offer families there: Doctors run diagnostic tests and assessments with your child, and you have a diagnosis by the end of the day. And they support families after diagnosis also. It’s extremely close to St. Louis and has a big connection here. The Center is at the University of Missouri-Columbia because the doctors do so much research, but last year it formed an affiliation with the local Mercy Autism Center. And doctors from the center come to St. Louis to train doctors and teachers here. In the Words of Thompson Foundation for Autism: “As a result of Sarah’s dedication and volunteer work with our annual charity event, the lives of children have been enriched by the financial support given to the Thompson Center, which offers access to evidence-based therapies addressing the myriad challenges of autism.”
In the Words of Thompson Foundation for Autism: “As a result of Sarah’s dedication and volunteer work with our annual charity event, the lives of children have been enriched by the financial support given to the Thompson Center, which offers access to evidence-based therapies addressing the myriad challenges of autism.”
[meet the Thompson Foundation for Autism board]
Front row: Sarah Hakes, Samantha Brooks, Josie Littlepage. Middle row: Doug Wilton, Becky Bahn, Patty Arnold, Suzanne Otto, Jack Reis. Back row: Fletcher Lane, Christine Faveere, Bob Courtney, Dave Cooksey, Charles Gail.
Photo: Colin Miller of Strauss Peyton
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