NEW ORLEANS – The Tres Doux Foundation is holding a press conference tomorrow, Tuesday, August 9, 2016, at Urban South Brewery, 1645 Tchoupitoulas St., at 11:00 a.m., to announce a new festival set for Saturday, October 8, 2016, at Lafayette Square in New Orleans, to raise money for children with autism.
The festival will feature multiple restaurants, local/ regional musical entertainment, and family-friendly activities in a Kid’s Village. The fest will be free and open to the public, with a portion of food and beverage sales benefiting the Foundation.
More information about the festival, including the chosen “iconic New Orleans dish” will be made available following the press announcement.
The mission of the Tres Doux Foundation is to celebrate, embrace and enhance the lives of children with developmental delays and disabilities by presenting them as whole beings, and to support organizations that do the same.
Tres Doux reps said the main diagnosis for children with a developmental delay is autism. Today, it is estimated that 1 in 68 children (and 1 in 42 boys) is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined (Centers for Disease Control).
Founded by Amy Boyle Collins and Walter Sherwood Collins, the Foundation and festival will raise awareness and funds for autism programs in New Orleans. The two met while both working in leadership roles at Young Leadership Council’s Wednesday at the Square. Through their journey with their son, Liam, who is on the autism spectrum, they have found out there’s a gap in accessible programming for kids on the spectrum, and they want to change that. So, they are doing what they do best – creating and managing a festival with amazing food and music.
