Why One Executive Is Stepping In The Ring To Fundraise

Abby Lou Foundation: Boxing For A Cause

Adults With Disabilities

When most of us think of individuals with disabilities, we often think of children who may need extra help in school, one on one therapy, or extra help at home. The majority of us don’t think about the later years of these individual’s lives, and what happens after they age out of the traditional school system and related resources.

There are currently 177 provider companies in Utah* that work with nearly 6,200 individuals over the age of 18 who are still in need of additional support. These providers work closely with the disabled client and their family to help them access the necessary resources such as SSI, Medicaid, housing assistance, and staffing. Unfortunately, even with all of these additional resources in place, individuals can still fall short of having sufficient help. With 3,911 people in Utah on the waiting list to receive services, this challenge doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. This is where the Abby Lou Foundation comes into place.

How The Foundation Got Started

The Abby Lou Foundation was founded in 2016, as Jeremy Creager and his wife Lisa saw a need for additional support for individuals like their daughter Abby Lou, who was born with down syndrome. “We became frustrated and worried that our strong and independent-minded daughter Abby was going to be stuck with programs that would never meet her needs,” says Jeremy on the abbylou.org website.

The foundation’s mission aims to solve this by advocating for those who can’t fully advocate for themselves. They work alongside families, clients and the community as a whole in order to ensure that these individuals are receiving the highest quality of care possible.

Services They Offers

While each client’s needs are unique, one of the most common services the foundation provides is legal funding assistance. From time to time, these individuals find themselves in complex legal situations and no means to afford the representation they need. The Abby Lou Foundation fundraises to support those needs.

As with most adults, at some point in their lives, disabled individuals need to make a change in their living situations. With that comes its own set of obstacles. During these transitions, there can be a gap of 6 months or longer with many of the resources they rely on, such as social security. The Abby Lou Foundation offers grants and zero interest loans to help bridge this financial gap for those in need.

Rising To The Challenge

Few understand these inherent challenges in the industry that individuals often encounter like Foundation President Devon Millington. “I’ve worked in the disability care world for over 10 years now and there is a huge need for changing the way care is delivered. Even those receiving care in the industry are getting sub-par services,” he explains. “The Abby Lou Foundation helps bridge gaps in the industry by educating families and disabled individuals, fund medical needs, fill social security assistance gaps, and provide legal assistance to this demographic.”

Millington has never been one to shy away from a challenge. “If you want to be great, you’ve got to do great things,” he says. “The only way to do great things is to pick the loftiest, most ambitious challenges and opportunities your life places in front of you and face them head on.”

Boxing to Raise Funds

This high energy, fun filled night has provided an incredible platform for the Abby Lou Foundation to educate the public on the ever growing need for additional resources in the industry, as well as an opportunity to raise additional funds that they rely on in order to serve their clientele.

Thanks to a generous donor, all donations up to $5k will be matched dollar for dollar. This will allow their organization to continue to help more and more clients get the quality care they deserve in order to live the most independent life possible.

“It’s going to be the best worst night ever,” Devon Millington joked when talking about the challenge of going against Andrew Scott. “I’m never one to say no to an amazing opportunity. It’s going to be an uphill battle, but I’m just trying to live life to the fullest.”

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