Rising Tide Celebrating its Fourth Anniversary in April, Autism Awareness Month; Opening Second Location in Margate Late Summer
Parkland, Fla. — Mar. 30, 2017 — The “heroes” of Rising Tide Car Wash, a groundbreaking social enterprise with a primary mission to employ adults with autism, will be shining on national TV on Saturday, April 8, 10–11 a.m. ET on “The Hero Effect” docu-series. The uplifting series, televised on The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), tells the story of ordinary individuals who are making extraordinary differences in their communities.
The series, co-hosted by former Super Bowl champion Donald Driver and actress/advocate Emily Wilson, is shot on location in different communities across the U.S. and celebrates everyday heroes who facilitate beneficial, life-changing impact on the people around them. The show is made in partnership with United Way.
The show’s air date coincides with Rising Tide’s 4th anniversary, April 2017, which is also National Autism Awareness Month.
“We are honored to be featured on ‘The Hero Effect’ and showcase to its viewers the amazing capabilities that individuals with autism have,” said John D’Eri, CEO of Rising Tide. “Since we launched Rising Tide four years ago, we have made incredible progress in changing communities’ perceptions of young adults with autism, and we are thrilled to continue to share our experiences.”
Rising Tide co-founders John and Tom D’Eri created the business to develop a scalable solution to employing individuals with autism. They were inspired to do this by watching John’s son and Tom’s brother Andrew, a vibrant young man with autism, struggle to find his place in the world. Unemployment among people with autism is approximately 90 percent.
Rising Tide and its consultants created an innovative model that breaks the car washing process into 46 distinct steps. Employees work in a mirror image of each other, and are able to thrive off the repetitive structure to produce extraordinary results.
Since it opened in Parkland at 7201 N. State Rd 7. on April 6, 2013, Rising Tide, a high-quality car wash, has experienced great success, giving young adults with autism opportunities to realize their capabilities, gain confidence, make friends, gain financial independence, and have a place to call their own. With approximately 35 employees, Rising Tide is one of the largest employers of people with autism in the U.S. Since its inception, Rising Tide has created 75 jobs in the South Florida area.
Due to its success, Rising Tide is opening a second location at 2970 N. State Rd 7 in Margate, Florida late summer. This location is being built as a custom car wash from the ground up. The Margate location will be 1½ times larger than the first, and is estimated to create about 50 new jobs in the community.
About Rising Tide Car Wash
Rising Tide Car Wash is a scalable social enterprise with the primary mission to employ adults with autism. By delivering a first-rate car wash experience to the consumer, Rising Tide strives to inspire communities to change their perception of the capabilities of people with autism. Through intensive training, team building and caring for the community, Rising Tide sets its employees up for success. With this model, Rising Tide has a goal to provide people with autism with an opportunity to build a career and achieve an independent lifestyle. Rising Tide Car Wash is located at 7201 N. State Rd 7, Parkland, FL 33067. It is open seven days a week from 8 a.m.–7 p.m. For more information, visit www.risingtidecarwash.com, call (954) 344-1855 or email info@risingtidecarwash.com.
