Ropers Raise Money for Austim

Lake Charles, LA – Professional Team Ropers Dustin and Manny Egusquiza are pledging 10% of their season winnings to the St. Nicholas Center for Children (SNCC) in Lake Charles, LA, through a new initiative titled “Reaching for Autism.”

Founded in 2008, St. Nicholas Center for Children (SNCC) is a nonprofit pediatric therapy center. Their mission is to transform the lives of children with Autism, delays, and disorders by providing therapy and family support. St. Nicholas Center offers a wide range of services, including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy, Children on the Autism Spectrum, and those struggling with development delays and neurological disorders receive these services in a caring, loving, enjoyable therapeutic environment.

And now, the St. Nicholas Center campus needs help to continue offering the support children and families depend on. After virtual destruction by Hurricane Laura on August 27, 2020, the facility took more perilous hits from Hurricane Delta on October 9, 2020, the highly uncharacteristic for southwest Louisiana winter freeze of February 2021, followed by demolishing floods in May, also of this year. Due to the destruction, SNCC is currently operating from temporary trailers placed in the fall of 2020. SNCC offers such vast services, they have quickly outgrown the trailers.

“Manny and Dustin Egusquiza are true champions for the children we serve at St. Nicholas Center for Children. When we found out we were chosen to be the recipients of Reaching for Autism, we were overjoyed that professional team ropers were helping us recover from four major natural disasters that have destroyed our Center,” said Christy Papania-Jones, MEd, EdS Founder & Executive Director at SNCC.

“Autism affects 1 in every 54 children, and many improve with intensive therapy. Thanks to Manny and Dustin, our children will continue to reach their fullest potential.”

Funds raised will be used to rebuild the St. Nicholas Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and for St. Nicholas Center Worldwide programming and growth in other locations that are in desperate need of these same services. Funds will also address different needs of the Center that are not eligible for assistance through State and Federal disaster relief programs.

The brother pro team ropers, Manny and Dustin Egusiquiza, are honored to donate 10% of this year’s winnings to the St. Nicholas Center, as this cause is near and dear to their hearts. Their connection is through a good friend and fellow team roper, Lake Charles attorney Chad Mudd, whose wife Michelle was integral in the original establishment of SNCC.

The Egusiquizas witnessed the passion of the Mudds for the children served by the Center and their quest to get them back in their proper therapeutic environment, and the rest is history. “It is important for me to help the St. Nicholas Center because those kids have some of the same dreams and aspirations as I do,” said Dustin Egusiquiza. “Not necessarily in rodeo specifically, but life in general, and if Manny and I can raise a lot of money to help rebuild their facility, the services offered at the St. Nicholas Center will bring them one step closer to their dreams.”

“I am excited to bring awareness to the western sports industry about SNCC and the important work they do,” said Manny Egusiquiza. “Along with my brother (Dustin), we are proud to be able to help a very worthy cause and to see our charitable donation put to use to help children develop and grow through the services offered at SNCC.”

Are you interested in learning more or supporting the cause? Text REACH to 36413 for more information. Updates on Reaching for Autism can be found on Facebook @reachingforautism.

About St. Nicholas Center

Headquartered in Lake Charles, LA, learn more about St. Nicholas Center for Children at www.stnickcenter.org