Anne Gabor, left, behavior analyst at the Vero Beach clinic, Steve Owen from the Jake Owen Foundation, center, and Michael Kelley, right, executive director of the Scott Center for Autism Treatment. (Image for SpaceCoastDaily.com)
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA — The Jake Owen Foundation, established by country music star Jake Owen, has donated $25,000 to the Vero Beach location of Florida Institute of Technology’s Scott Center for Autism Treatment.
Born and raised in Vero Beach and a product of Vero Beach High School, Owen still has family living in the Indian River County community. He returns every year to hold a concert there to benefit his foundation.
Established in 2010, Owen’s foundation is focused on assisting children in Indian River County and nationally who are battling cancer and other childhood diseases. Owen has been a supporter of Autism Speaks and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital as well as many other charitable causes impacting children.
Funds raised in large part from Owen’s October 2014 concert are benefiting the university’s autism clinic in the Sunshine Physical Therapy Building, 1705 17th Ave. in Vero Beach.
They will be used to cover the costs of diagnosing and treating children of families living in Indian River County who lack the financial resources to afford diagnostic and treatment services and who may be uninsured or underinsured.
Michael E. Kelley
“We were thrilled to be able to bring our services to the families of Indian River County when we opened the facility last July,” said Scott Center Executive Director Michael E. Kelley.
“Thanks to the generosity of the Jake Owen Foundation, even more children will now be able to utilize our center. We look forward to welcoming them and their families.”
The Scott Center facility in Vero Beach opened in July 2014 thanks to startup funding from Impact 100 of Indian River County.
Jake Owen
The clinic seeks to help mitigate the effects of autism on children and caregivers; offer nationally-recognized, state-of-the art, evidence-based therapy; broadens community understanding about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD); and offers a formal network of peer and other support for families whose children are affected by ASD.
Services also include assessment and treatment of problem behaviors, pediatric feeding problems, toilet training, and other behavioral issues that are often experienced by children with autism and related disabilities.
Families seeking diagnosis or treatment for their children should contact the Vero Beach clinic at 772-444-2674.
Born and raised in Vero Beach and a product of Vero Beach High School, Owen still has family living in the Indian River County community. He returns every year to hold a concert there to benefit his foundation.
