Port Washington Charity Raises $165G for Autism Center

Spectrum Designs Foundation brought the “Luck of the Irish” to Port Washington on March 12 at H on The Harbor for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Casino Night.

Based in Port Washington, Spectrum is a non-profit organization that aims to become a fast-growing apparel-decorating businesses, through its full line of customized products for corporations, organizations, private parties and more

Of the organization’s 18 employees, 12 have autism. The organization’s current “Believe Campaign” aims to create an enterprise that focuses on daily opportunities for work, wellness and personal enrichment for those with autism.

The March 12 fundraiser is helping the organization achieve these goals. The casino event generated $65,000 in support of the campaign, bringing the current totals to more than $165,000. The organization aims to raise $250,000 by June 1.

That money will help enable Spectrum Designs to expand its workshop, and add additional space for daily fitness, leisure and enrichment classes, according to the organization.

“The focus for our ‘Believe’ Campaign is to simply respond to the needs of the people we serve,” said Nicole Sugrue, cofounder of Spectrum Designs, in a statement.

“There is a tremendous void of daily opportunity for these young people to engage in employment, productivity, happy healthier lifestyles and continued enrichment. We believe our expansion will be a big part of the solution for our immediate community,” she added.

A $5,000 check was presented to Spectrum Designs Foundation by Allan Mendels on behalf of the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation, according to Spectrum.

The business began operating out of a 1,500-square-foot print shop within the Community Chest of Port Washington in 2013 and finished 2014 with over $650,000 in sales, according to the organization.

Spectrum’s President and Co-founder Patrick Bardsley said he looked to companies he admires for inspiration for the organization’s expansion.

“Looking at business models like Google and Facebook, the 21st century working environment is more fulfilling through a focus on the work-life balance,” he said. “It is not uncommon to see a gym or social areas within the workspace. It is our belief that this is even more important for our population.”

Learn more about Spectrum Designs here.

Image: Co-founders of Spectrum Designs Foundation Stella Spanakos, Nicole Sugrue and Patrick Bardsley receive a check from Allan Mendels on behalf of the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation.

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