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BottleRock Napa Valey steps up fo r Autism Bob Vogt Gabriel Meyers MAy / J U N E 2 0 1 3 69 Living Your Best (Napa Valley) Life by Dr. sharon ufberg , D.C. Besides sharing a real love of rock-n-roll, Gabriel Meyers and Bob Vogt both share a deep personal commitment to helping individuals and families who have been touched by autism. The BottleRock event marries their passions with a purpose. Bob’s youngest son, Will, was diagnosed with autism at age three and is the inspiration for Willpower Entertainment, the company they created that specializes in putting on concerts. Willpower Entertainment’s newly formed philanthropic endeavor, the Autism Chords Foundation, will take their commitment to a whole new level. This first year, half of the charitable proceeds from the BottleRock event will go to fund autism-related efforts and the other half of charitable monies will be divided among 20-25 other local, national and international cause-based organizations. Meyers and Vogt are dedicated to focusing on a search for a cure for autism, adult living care and housing for those with autism, and a variety of resources for families. They both know that autism is a problem that affects many. “An estimated 1 out of 38 boys and 1 in 252 girls are diagnosed with autism in the United States,” the BottleRock website says. “By way of comparison, more children are diagnosed with autism each year than juvenile diabetes, AIDS and cancer, combined. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) affect more than two million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide.” And government autism statistics suggest that prevalence rates have increased 10 to 17 percent annually in recent years. Autism affects information processing in the brain and is often associated with impaired communication and socialization abilities. Most autism is recognized in the first several years of a child’s development, and there is currently no known cure. Thought to have a strong genetic basis, there is much controversy over the impact that environmental factors, such as pesticides and heavy metals, and childhood vaccines have on the increasing prevalence of autism cases. Willpower Entertainment’s goal is to give $1 million dollars away with the proceeds from BottleRock. Reaching that $1 million goal has everything to do with people showing up and supporting the Napa Valley event. Not only will everyone get to hear great music, drink great Napa Valley wine and eat good food—they will also get to support a great cause. For more information go to www.bottlerocknapavalley.com Photos: © KOPEL BONICK studio Bob Vogt and his Willpower Entertainment partner Gabriel Meyers believe in making a difference. Their latest do-good venture is BottleRock Napa Valey, which is bringing more than sixty bands to downtown Napa over four days, May 9-12 community life


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