Actor Gary Cole Among Those Honored at Northville Autism Awareness Gala

Fans of the movie Office Space know him as the pretentious micromanaging Bill Lumbergh. But in person, actor Gary Cole is humble when talking about his efforts to raise awareness for autism at a gala in Northville.

"It's simply about kids and families that need all the help they can get," he said in an interview with Northville Patch. "I thought it was significant. What draws the focus is irrelevant."

Tickets for the Saturday night event ranged from $50 to $75, which included a silent auction fundraiser. About 350 people were in attendance at the Celebrities Against Autism event. Organizers said they reached the $25,000 fundraising goal. Cole was the featured guest.

The actor's daughter was diagnosed in 1994 when even less was known about the disease than today. He got involved with autism awareness and advocacy organizations in Los Angeles, where he lives. He was invited to be a featured honoree and took a detour from upcoming filming in Toronto to attend the event.

"It was about honoring members of the community doing everything they could to help," he said.

Cole explained that he and his family had to actively educate about the disease when his daughter was diagnosed. His wife wrote letters to his daughter's classmates to explain that she had been diagnosed and a little about what to expect and "not to be scared of any kind of differences."

He was one of many individuals honored at a weekend gala held in the historic home of Northville dentist William Demray. He hosts one major fundraiser a year at his home.

"These organizations need support," Demray said. "There's a lot of talk in the media of a certain 1 percent. This is a special 1 percent."

He added that they, "need the support and recognition of the other 99 percent."

The event was coordinated by the Celebrities Against Autism organization based in the Detroit area. It is founded by Melissa Hunt-Sampey and Valarie McFarland. This is the first year it has been held.

Celebrities Against Autism's "objective is to promote awareness and raise funds for families in need. We believe that awareness, acceptance and information help families and our society deal with this devastating disorder. Our hope is that people will accept autism with respect and open arms, just as they accept individuals with other disorders," according to its website. "Another objective is to raise funds to provide families the therapies needed to recover their loved one from autism. In many states, most health insurance plans do not cover autism."

Hunt-Sampey said she helped establish the organization because her brother became afflicted with autism, which shook her family.

"It's just me and my brother," she said. "I didn't have a 'normal' sibling I could relate to. It changes your life."

She added, "we know how much families are struggling with costs whether it's schooling or treatment. For us, we're very delighted to host an event like this."

In the future, Hunt-Sampey said she'd like to see it grow.

"I would like to see it become an annual event," she said. Right now, the organization is Michigan-based but it has the potential to be launched in other locations in the future.