CARD’s 2025 Tropical Nights Gala Aims to Raise $1M to Fund Lifelong Support for the Autism Community
The Center for Autism & Related Disabilities offers free services for individuals with autism and their families across South Florida.
Cristian LaCapra compares having a child with autism to riding a rollercoaster. “There are deep lows, and then before you know it, you’re shooting up into the sky with some really big highs,” he explains. “You’re going fast, you’re hitting the breaks, and you’ve got a bunch of people on this rollercoaster with you.”
When Cristian LaCapra and his wife Gianni LaCapra learned their son Nico – whose favored activities include roller coasters – was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, the first-time parents initially had no idea how to proceed in getting him the care he would need. Their first visit to the Center for Autism & Related Disabilities at the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern University (CARD) changed everything. CARD provides a range of free services to individuals with autism and related disabilities, as well as their families.
Nico was diagnosed in 2018, shortly before he turned age 2. “The neurologist basically threw this diagnosis at us,” says Gianni LaCapra. “CARD put in place a whole team for us, for behavioral therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy. We finally felt a sense of relief, like we had a plan to move forward.”
The LaCapras’ experience led the couple to co-chair CARD’s 2025 Tropical Nights fundraising gala. Their ambitious goal: to raise a record-breaking $1 million. With the gala scheduled for April 5 at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown Miami, Cristian says they’re halfway to that goal.
“I feel like I’ve come full circle,” says Gianni, who has been on CARD’s board for several years. “CARD has stepped up to the plate every single time that we needed them.”
Cristian LaCapra agrees, adding, “We’ve attended this gala for many years. [Chairing] is really a way for us to honor and thank all the people who will be in that room.”
What is the Center for Autism & Related Disabilities?
CARD’s multidisciplinary team of experts provide free resources and services to individuals with autism and related disabilities, from early intervention programs for toddlers and educational support for school-aged children, to vocational training, job placement and eldercare support. Staff help families find therapists, medical professionals, schools and other experts. CARD also offers family counseling, support groups and community training. The center also supports professionals who work with individuals who have autism spectrum disorders, sharing best practices, advances in the field and research.
More than 18,000 families across Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties receive support and services from CARD. It’s one of seven statewide CARD centers housed at leading universities.
CARD’s executive director, Dr. Michael Alessandri, says CARD builds community around individuals with autism and their families. “It’s at the heart of what CARD does really well,” he explains. “We convene stakeholders and make the world a better place for families to walk this journey with their child.”
Both Gianni and Cristian LaCapra agree, saying CARD has built a community around their family – not just for Nico but also for his twin sister, Celine, who is neurotypical. Anytime they’ve needed anything for Nico or had any question, the couple has called CARD and talked it through with an expert. Both shared how they have been buoyed by the staff’s passion for their work and attention to each family member’s needs.
Dr. Alessandri explains that CARD’s staff become personally and emotionally involved with their clients and families, which is unusual among professionals in this field. “If we’re really going to help the families in the way that they need to be helped,” he says, “you kind of need to become part of the family.”
No Waiting List
CARD serves every family that applies for its services, with no waiting list. Staff members’ heavy caseloads sometimes mean a family has to wait a couple of weeks to do an intake and start working with CARD, Dr. Alessandri says.
Around half of the organization’s budget is funded through a grant from the Florida Department of Education. Much of its funding comes from foundations and other private grants, as well as individual gifts. Tropical Nights is its biggest annual fundraiser.
With 1 in 36 children today diagnosed with autism, CARD aims to expand its services within South Florida. It has multiple locations, in addition to its headquarters at the University of Miami, and provides services in English, Spanish, Creole and Portuguese. Dr. Alessandri would like to add additional staff and satellite locations.
Support for the Entire Family
Cristian LaCapra says CARD has supported the entire LaCapra family on the ride he referred to as a rollercoaster. Celine, Nico’s sister, gets opportunities to spend time with other neurotypical siblings, interacting with the few other children who can understand her situation. As she gets older, she’ll have CARD’s formal sibling support groups.
Cristian LaCapra has found invaluable support from CARD’s fathers’ group. “When you first get the diagnosis of autism, it’s heartbreaking,” he says. “It was devastating, and you don’t really know who you can talk to about it.”
During his first visit to the support group, he found himself crying on the shoulder of the man sitting next to him, who has since become a close friend. “It’s that safe place where you can open up, tell your story around other people who are going through this,” he says.
For Gianni LaCapra, CARD’s resources enabled her to eventually share Nico’s autism diagnosis with a wide circle of friends and family. “I had a really hard time saying it aloud. … I would say, ‘He has a speech delay,” she says. Now, she adds, “I feel strong enough to share our story because of CARD.”
The whole-family approach is one of the things that makes CARD unique. “CARD is there helping the whole entire family, which is hard to find,” Gianni LaCapra says. “Doctors are great, but the doctors are there to treat the symptoms and the patient.”
Gianni and Cristian LaCapra say they’ve been shocked by how many parents with autistic children don’t know about CARD. “There are so many people in our community who are going through this and don’t know who to speak to, where to go,” Cristian LaCapra says. “Raising awareness about this community resource,” he says, “is as important as raising funds.”
Lifetime Support
CARD’s clients range from young toddlers to individuals in their 80s. “We’re the only program that can follow a child from early intervention through their elderly years,” Dr. Alessandri notes.
Gianni and Cristian LaCapra find comfort in knowing their children will have lifelong support from CARD. “Someday, when Cristian and I are not here, Nico will still have CARD, Celine will still have CARD,” Gianni LaCapra says. “CARD will be there, helping Nico find employment, somewhere to live, advocating for them both.”
This year’s Tropical Nights honoree is emblematic of CARD’s lifetime commitment to its clients. Lileana de Moya has been dedicated to the neurodiverse community for decades. She has founded multiple initiatives to support adults with disabilities, including the de Moya Foundation, a nonprofit focused on creating employment opportunities for adults who are neurodivergent and have related disabilities. “It’s very special to honor someone that I truly admire,” Gianni LaCapra says. “She is an unbelievable woman.”
As the gala draws near, Gianni LaCapra, who is the former director of sales and marketing at her family business, Decorative Sales Associates, and Cristian LaCapra, a senior wealth strategist at Northern Trust, are balancing parenting their twins, their professional lives and their passion to raise funds for CARD. The work, they both agree, is well worth it.
“Cristian and I, we’re doers, and being able to contribute to CARD and give back and be involved in this community has been the biggest therapy for me,” Gianni LaCapra says. “You find that you’re not alone, and being able to talk to people and help them even when you’re at your lowest – it helps me.”
Tropical Nights gala benefitting CARD
Saturday, April 5, 2025,
The InterContinental Hotel in downtown Miami
Click here to learn more or buy tickets.
