A Letter From Elysia on Letters of Love

Dear Sisters:

Suzanne Wright, co-founder of Autism Speaks, had a knack for the art of letter writing. Her beautiful, blue, handwritten script graced the bottom of many thoughtfully written letters of thanks. Thanks that was given for helping to spread her story, which became the mission of Autism Speaks. It was the story of a grandmother trying to make a difference for children like her grandson. Many Alpha Xi Delta women received these letters and upon Suzanne's untimely passing from pancreatic cancer, inspired us to continue that tradition in our own way. To spread our story and to give our thanks for those who make Alpha Xi Delta’s partnership with Autism Speaks so profound and so important.

When we started this partnership in 2009, we thought we were embarking on a simple philanthropy partnership. Little did we know that this mission would so profoundly be intertwined with the women who make up our membership. Throughout the month of November we will be sharing their stories through our new National Philanthropy Day initiative, Letters of Love. They are the stories of moms, grandmothers, sisters, friends, educators, behavior therapists, researchers, fundraisers and so many more. We encourage you to be inspired by these stories and in turn, share your story with your circles of influence.

Perhaps you have a personal connection to autism or perhaps before joining Alpha Xi Delta you didn't even know what autism was- regardless of your place in the story, your commitment to Alpha Xi Delta and Autism Speaks mission means something important. By sharing your story, not only are we deepening our commitment and ability to raise critical funds for important research, advocacy work and family services, but you are also reaching a much larger audience of people who will engage in the mission because it is important to you. By simply sharing your story, you are spreading awareness beyond your wildest dreams.

The sharing is the easy part! Visit www.alphaxidelta.org/lettersoflove to register. click JOIN A TEAM and find your initiating chapter to register. Then simply write a letter from the heart about why Alpha Xi Delta’s partnership with Autism Speaks is important to you (or use one of the templates provided) and send to your circle of influence. Ask people to honor that passion with a donation in your name. This is a great opportunity to support your initiating chapter, whether active currently or dormant and to showcase that pride into action. Let your competitive pride help the cause! We have a large goal for this campaign and really want to show the world how much Autism Speaks means to us! As with any good competition- there are prizes! The prizes are exciting and include apparel swag and jewelry!

Help us honor Suzanne Wright’s memory and showcase Alpha Xi Delta’s passion for the mission of Autism Speaks. As we celebrate National Philanthropy Day and Alpha Xi Delta’s commitment to philanthropy and to Autism Speaks, please help us share the love with the second annual Letters of Love campaign.

In the bonds,

Elysia Gallivan

National Executive Director