Britt Wibmer knows how to throw a party. A luxury real estate broker with Windermere Real Estate, Britt is giving back to the autism community as the Chair of this year’s gala, Night Out for a Cause on September 30th at Overlake Golf & Country Club in Medina.
Auctioneer Larry Snyder and Britt Wibmer.
Britt first connected with Washington Autism Alliance & Advocacy (WAAA) via mutual friends. She declares it was "love at first sight," the instant she met Arzu Forough, founder of WAAA, commenting, “Arzu made me feel like I was part of the family immediately.”
#EmbraceAutism WAAA founder Arzu Forough, Karin Grinzel, Britt Wibmer.
“The community I was able to connect with and the support that I receive from WAAA has made a huge difference in my life -- I appreciate so much having people around me who relate to my challenges. I am bound and determined to provide that support for other people.” As auction Chair, Britt asserts, “I hope we raise more money than ever before. I would love to provide funds to expand WAAA’s outreach. People need to know they have a place to call. I want the most resource-challenged families to know they have a place to go for help.”
Mom to Ivan (age 11) and Gabe (age 9.5), Britt is a master at elegantly juggling multiple tasks. Due to his pediatrician identifying speech delays, Britt enrolled Gabe at The Boyer Clinic. Quite quickly, they recommended occupational therapy and soon thereafter, they indicated that Gabe showed signs of autism. After a year on a waitlist, Gabe was diagnosed with autism at age 3.5. Britt recalls struggling with “tons of uncertainty and fear” facing an unknown future.
These days she enjoys biking around her Medina neighborhood with her boys, remarking she’d “follow Gabe anywhere.” She feels positive looking ahead, “Gabe is a bright, creative kid who has the world ahead of him. He has the ability to move mountains and I think he will take on the world and make his mark.”
When asked about the joys and challenges of raising a child on the spectrum she notes she would love for people to be less judgmental when they see children misbehaving in the world, remarking, “you never know what's going on behind the scenes.”
Keeping it real for Mother's Day.
Although a struggle at times, Britt credits that having a child that's different has given her a purpose in life. “Having kids with special needs has changed my perspective -- it has enriched my life.” Recognizing she no longer holds the same judgement or control issues she used to, she reflects, “I look at people differently now. I never thought I'd be that weirdo in the grocery store... and I am!”
Please join Britt as we build a community of supporters to help families across Washington state meet the health, social, and educational needs of children and adults with autism and developmental disabilities.
- Online Auction, September 22 - 29
- “Light Up the Night” Live auction and dinner gala, September 30