The Training, Education & Research Institute Celebrates Record Number of Guests and Donations at Annual Fundraising Gala

Online, May 5, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The Training, Education & Research Institute (TERI, Inc.), a San Diego-based non-profit center of excellence and social change for people with autism and other developmental disabilities and their families, hosted more than 200 guests at a celebration and fundraiser April 30 on the future grounds of the organization's new campus, the Charles R. Cono Campus for Life Quality. The event, Cuvee delle Vite, is TERI's largest annual fundraiser and was kicked off with a gracious $100,000 donation from Grant General Contractors.
The donation from Grant General Contractors, which is also the general contractor and partner for building the new campus, added to a record amount raised for the fourth annual event, already totaling more than $230,000. The donations are needed more than ever as TERI continues to build its new state-of-the-art campus in North County San Diego and aims to raise at least an additional $5 million this year. The new 30-acre campus is planned to open in 2014 and will house TERI's various life-changing programs for improving the quality of life for people with autism, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and other learning and developmental disabilities.
"The programs TERI offers are truly amazing and are changing the lives of so many people with developmental disabilities," said Jim Grant, president, Grant General Contractors. "We're honored to be a part of the TERI family and to help in the building of this new campus, which will change the way the world views individuals with special needs. If you've never heard of TERI's programs, you really need to see the work they do to bring joy, laughter and fun to these deserving children and adults."

TERI opened in 1980 and has grown to today serving as an international model for improving the quality of life for people with special needs. The new Charles R. Cono Campus for Life Quality first broke ground in 2009 and opened its first completed building at the Cuvee delle Vite event. The Harriet E. Pfleger Therapeutic Equestrian Center was unveiled at a ribbon cutting ceremony and will begin immediately offering unique therapeutic opportunities for people with special needs.

Once completed, the new campus will feature several other buildings to house all of TERI's various initiatives in one centralized location. This includes life quality planning and coaching, fitness and aquatics, arts, culinary, IT, medical, agriculture, research, green/sustainability and academic curriculums for preschool through 12th grades and adult education/vocational training.

"It was wonderful to see all of TERI's friends and family join together at Cuvee delle Vite to support our students at TERI," said Cheryl Kilmer, CEO and founder, TERI. "We cannot thank our staff, clients and volunteers enough for the contributions they have made. The support from the Grant family and all of our donors is deeply appreciated and will go a long way in making the campus a reality."

The Cuvee delle Vite event was emceed by Ranch & Coast Magazine editor, Andrea Naversen, and featured fresh Italian cuisine prepared and donated by Vigilucci's of San Diego. Also onsite, wine tastings, live music, an exhibition and sale of art created by TERI clients, and a special message from TERI spokeswoman, Grammy-winner and former Destiny Child's member Michelle Williams.

To learn more about TERI or how to leave a lasting mark on the campus through our brick campaign, visit: www.teriinc.org, or text or email [email protected]. To join in on the latest conversation, visit: www.twitter.com/weareteri or www.facebook.com/teriinc.

About the Training, Education & Research Institute (TERI, Inc.):
Founded in 1980, TERI, Inc. is a private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) California corporation. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for children and adults with developmental disabilities and learning disabilities, specializing in serving individuals who have needs which cannot be met by other existing programs. TERI looks to the future by continuing its commitment to set new standards through establishing model programs, conducting applied research in best practices and procedures and offering training and consultation to professionals, families, and community members. Recognized as a model program in the State of California for the quality of services it provides to its clients, TERI relies on donations from the community and foundations in order to continue to set the highest standards and ensure an uncompromised quality of life to its population. For more information, visit http://teriinc.org.