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Everyone has heard of Ernie
Els, a former world number
one golfer, winner of 71
worldwide titles, including
four major championships,
and owner of one of the
smoothest swings in golf. Els
has had a Hall of Fame career
and continues to compete at
a high level well into his 28th
season on tour.
What many do not realize,
he is the father to a son with
autism, Ben. The Els family
relocated from England to
West Palm Beach, Florida,
when young Ben was
diagnosed, to access the best
treatment available.
Since that move, Ernie
and his wife, Liezl have
been extremely active in
the autistic community. In
2009, they created the Els
for Autism Foundation to
support organizations that
are working on research and
treatment for the disorder.
The foundation took a huge
step in 2015 by opening
the doors to the Els Center
for Excellence in Jupiter,
Florida. The center works
with over 300 autistic
children, providing a variety
of programs and opportunities
including, a charter school,
medical services, physical
activities and employment
training and placement. The
center has made a huge
impact in the autism
community in Florida and
plans are in place to expand
the efforts nationwide.
The center is a very
welcoming place for the
children and was built to
make them as comfortable
as possible. They invested in
a properly trained staff and
the equipment to meet the
needs of their students. Every
detail of the facility, from wall
decorations to the height of
the windows, was thoroughly
thought out to ensure the
The FirstTee of Lake Erie
Partnerswith Els forAutism
By Adam Reny
NWO Golf Links