As many of you may have heard, this coming July, my son Dominic and I will be climbing Mount Fuji. It was a promise I made to him that when he received his PhD, I would take him to Japan, and we would climb Mount Fuji. As part of this trip, we have decided to use it to raise money for Autism Speaks, a charity that through the years, have worked tirelessly to provide crucial autism research, advocacy, services and support to help people with autism and those who support them thrive.
Dominic‘s PhD was in neurobiological research at Vanderbilt University focused on the autism spectrum. His research made some interesting discoveries that may very well be used in future research and helping to find new drug pathways in the brain to treat this condition.
As Dominic explains:
Glial phagocytosis of neurons and myelin is an essential component of a healthy nervous system.
Disrupting this process through reducing or accelerating engulfment can be deleterious and is often associated with developmental (autism) and degenerative (Alzheimer’s) disease states. My longstanding goal is to understand the fundamental biology controlling glial engulfment events and apply these insights to therapeutic development.
Dr. Dominic Vita
We are reaching out to the cigar community, friends, and family to help raise money for this charity. You can join by clicking this link and donating what you can $5, $50, or whatever you can afford. We all know somebody who is on the spectrum whether it be a family member, a friend, or a friend’s friend. We all know the struggle is real.
As part of this campaign, whoever donates the most money, regardless if it’s an individual, a group, or a company, we will get a picture taken at the top of the mountain as the sun rises over Japan, celebrating them being the top of the heap. All others will be put into a random drawing for the four other levels where we will also take a photo. Each photo will include a branded shirt, flag, or even a cigar, to represent their contribution and participation in this fundraising opportunity.
I hope you’ll join us in raising money for autism. It is near and dear to our hearts, and hopefully yours too.
If you wish to donate, just click this link or scan the QR code below. It will take you to Autism Speaks and the campaign that we’ve set up. You can donate anonymously or if you want your name to be known include that.
The campaign will run from now until early July and the climb will happen on July 13 and 14th 2023. The whole event will be covered in photos and videos along with an article that will be published on Stogie Press to document the journey up Mt. Fuji and how much was raised.
Feel free to share this with as many people as you can and let’s see what we can do for autism as a community.
We have started with a $250 contribution in the name of Dominic Vita.
Thank you.
James (Boston Jimmie) Vita & Dr. Dominic Vita
You can also scan this QR code to go right to the campaign to donate.
