Post by icy on Mar 30, 2006 20:51:53 GMT -5
Source: www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060330/BUSINESS/603300328/1003
Autism bands link local mom, 'The Shield” actress
By Juana Jordan
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
A local mother's money-raising project to sell blue wristbands to raise awareness and perhaps find a cure for her son's autism has caught Hollywood's attention.
Victoria Zepp's Bands of Hope have landed on the hit FX Network's cop drama "The Shield."
Actress Cathy Cahlin Ryan, who plays Corrine Mackey, wife of the show's lead character Vic Mackey, introduced the bands into the story line after she discovered them on the autism Web site Cure Autism Now. It linked Ryan to Zepp's own autism awareness Web site, findthecure.us.
Vic Mackey is played by actor Michael Chiklis.
Zepp came up with the idea to sell the bands two years ago. It was inspired by the yellow "Live Strong" bands promoted by cyclist Lance Armstrong, a survivor of testicular cancer. Since starting the project, Zepp has helped raise a little more than $93,000 for autism research.
She wanted to bring attention to Zachary, her then-10-year-old son. At age 3, he was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism in which children are unusually intelligent and quick learners, but exhibit limited social skills, repetitive behavior and often an interest in one topic to the exclusion of everything else.
"I immediately said it makes perfect sense for my character to wear this," said Ryan. Her husband, Shawn Ryan, is the creator and executive producer of the show that had the Mackey family discovering their son and youngest daughter has been diagnosed with the disorder.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta estimates that in the United States between one in 500 and one in 166 children are identified as having some form of autism.
"She is the kind of person who would wear this," said Ryan of her character, Corrine.
And so is Ryan, who also got bands for other cast and crew. She and husband understand the challenge families face. They have friends who have autistic children. And wearing the bands, said Ryan, helps brings about more awareness.
"We do know people who have autistic children, which is really a nice way to shine a light on this,” she added. “The way we do it, you're not hit on the head with the message. But we show that this is their (the Mackey family) life and this is how they deal with it."
On the show, the issue eventually caused a chasm in the Mackey marriage.
Zepp said she was thrilled to learn the bands have caught the attention of the show business world.
"Having our bands and shirts being worn on "The Shield" lets us know that we are achieving the goals that we've set for us all on what our organization is about - to achieve awareness and understanding for how autism affects lives," said Zepp.
The show, which airs on Tuesday nights on the FX channel, (Cable 53), will keep the bands as part of the story line this season. So far they've gotten more than 30 hours of television time. In just about every episode there is a shot of the band.
And viewers have taken notice, said Ryan.
"I get letters occasionally," said Ryan. "There's a group of people with autism who watch the show and they appreciate it."
Locally, check out these places:
Center For Autism at FSU, 625-B N. Adams St.,
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Itty Biddy Florist, 1410 Market St., (850) 893-0440
On the Web: Visit www.findthecure.us
Contact reporter Juana Jordan at (850) 599-2321 or jrjordan@tallahassee.com. WANT A BAND?
Originally published March 30, 2006
Autism bands link local mom, 'The Shield” actress
By Juana Jordan
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
A local mother's money-raising project to sell blue wristbands to raise awareness and perhaps find a cure for her son's autism has caught Hollywood's attention.
Victoria Zepp's Bands of Hope have landed on the hit FX Network's cop drama "The Shield."
Actress Cathy Cahlin Ryan, who plays Corrine Mackey, wife of the show's lead character Vic Mackey, introduced the bands into the story line after she discovered them on the autism Web site Cure Autism Now. It linked Ryan to Zepp's own autism awareness Web site, findthecure.us.
Vic Mackey is played by actor Michael Chiklis.
Zepp came up with the idea to sell the bands two years ago. It was inspired by the yellow "Live Strong" bands promoted by cyclist Lance Armstrong, a survivor of testicular cancer. Since starting the project, Zepp has helped raise a little more than $93,000 for autism research.
She wanted to bring attention to Zachary, her then-10-year-old son. At age 3, he was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism in which children are unusually intelligent and quick learners, but exhibit limited social skills, repetitive behavior and often an interest in one topic to the exclusion of everything else.
"I immediately said it makes perfect sense for my character to wear this," said Ryan. Her husband, Shawn Ryan, is the creator and executive producer of the show that had the Mackey family discovering their son and youngest daughter has been diagnosed with the disorder.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta estimates that in the United States between one in 500 and one in 166 children are identified as having some form of autism.
"She is the kind of person who would wear this," said Ryan of her character, Corrine.
And so is Ryan, who also got bands for other cast and crew. She and husband understand the challenge families face. They have friends who have autistic children. And wearing the bands, said Ryan, helps brings about more awareness.
"We do know people who have autistic children, which is really a nice way to shine a light on this,” she added. “The way we do it, you're not hit on the head with the message. But we show that this is their (the Mackey family) life and this is how they deal with it."
On the show, the issue eventually caused a chasm in the Mackey marriage.
Zepp said she was thrilled to learn the bands have caught the attention of the show business world.
"Having our bands and shirts being worn on "The Shield" lets us know that we are achieving the goals that we've set for us all on what our organization is about - to achieve awareness and understanding for how autism affects lives," said Zepp.
The show, which airs on Tuesday nights on the FX channel, (Cable 53), will keep the bands as part of the story line this season. So far they've gotten more than 30 hours of television time. In just about every episode there is a shot of the band.
And viewers have taken notice, said Ryan.
"I get letters occasionally," said Ryan. "There's a group of people with autism who watch the show and they appreciate it."
Locally, check out these places:
Center For Autism at FSU, 625-B N. Adams St.,
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Itty Biddy Florist, 1410 Market St., (850) 893-0440
On the Web: Visit www.findthecure.us
Contact reporter Juana Jordan at (850) 599-2321 or jrjordan@tallahassee.com. WANT A BAND?
Originally published March 30, 2006