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Congresswoman Waters “Pumps it up” for Autism Awareness

May 29, 2013
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) attended the 5th Annual Pink Pump Affair at the Montage Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunday, May 19. Organized by the Special Needs Network (SNN), a leading autism advocacy organization based in Los Angeles, the Pink Pump Affair honored five "Women of Distinction" who have made outstanding contributions to increasing autism awareness and supporting children and families impacted by the disorder. Guests were encouraged to wear pink high-heeled shoes to demonstrate how "pumped" they are about enhancing autism awareness.

Congresswoman Waters presented the "Women of Distinction" honorees with certificates of special recognition. Honorees included actress Tisha Campbell-Martin, business leaders Candance Bond McKeever and Delilah Lanoix-Harris, and autism expert Anshu Batra, M.D.

Congresswoman Waters also presented the Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor she received at the inaugural Pink Pump Affair, to Former Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.

"It was a tremendous honor to attend this event," said Congresswoman Waters. "I commend Areva Martin, the president of SSN for her extraordinary commitment to helping children with autism and special needs. Each of the honorees has given so much of their time and effort to advancing autism awareness, and it is a true testament to their character."

Congresswoman Waters continued: "According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 20 children out of every 1,000 were diagnosed with autism in 2012. The CDC has also found that the number of people diagnosed with autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s. In light of the growing prevalence of autism among children in the United States, the efforts of these honorees couldn't be more timely or necessary."

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Attached photograph (left to right): Anshu Batra, M.D., Tisha Campbell-Martin, Areva Martin, Esq., Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), Pat Harvey, Candance Bond McKeever, Delilah Lanoix-Harris.

Image removed.