Food and Folly 2024, United Cerebral Palsy, Todd Perkins, Mobile

By Zeb Hargett

United Cerebral Palsy has its 15th annual Food and Folly event on Thursday, September 19 at Ft. Whiting Reception Hall in Mobile, and you are invited! This year’s Presenting Sponsor is the Whiting Bradford Wealth Management Group, an office of Merrill Lynch in Mobile.

I visited with Todd Perkins, President and CEO of UCP, and Ashley O’Brien, Senior Relationship Manager and Vice President at the Whiting Bradford Wealth Management Group to learn more about UCP and the upcoming Food and Folly event. 

Todd first became involved with UCP at age 14  when he worked at Camp SMILE in Citronelle. “I was hooked,” he says. “I had a wonderful experience working with kids with disabilities. We serve people with physical and intellectual disabilities from birth through adulthood, serving 32 counties in Alabama.” The five state offices are Mobile, Florence (the tristate area), Huntsville, Anniston, and Birmingham. The Mobile office serves Montgomery, where they also have an office.

Todd grew up in Mobile, earned his degree in Education at Auburn, and spent some time in Florida before moving back home. He joined UCP in 1989 working for the Supported Employment program finding jobs for people with disabilities. “It was job coaching for clients, consumer organizations, and businesses in their market. 

Through the years, Todd took on different responsibilities and rose to Manager in 2002. From there he was named Vice President, working under Glynn Harger, who retired two and a half years ago. Todd was then named President and CEO of UCP, overseeing a staff of 65 full-time employees and contracting with outside professional services. He has now worked with UCP for 25 years.

“My first experience was at Camp SMILE, a summer program that offered camping for individuals who otherwise would not have a camping experience. I had three campers with intellectual disabilities. We formed a strong friendship and became very close.” 

Todd tells me that working with individuals who depend on others gave his life direction and changed his life. “It’s a we thing, not an I thing. I’ve made friends for life. It has given me empathy and growth. It’s given me purpose. We learn from each other.” 

Camp SMILE is now held at Camp Grace in West Mobile. It consists of four one-week programs based on the age of the campers. There is a volunteer training process that lasts 3 to 4 days. Volunteers are usually 15 years or older and are assigned based on need and experience. 

Each individual is paired one-on-one with a counselor.  Campers stay overnight Tuesday through Saturday. Paramedics, medical staff, Special Education teachers, and dietary professionals are there throughout the week.

“Mr. Davis Pilot, who established Camp Grace, invited us to host Camp SMILE there a few years ago, and it is the perfect place to meet our needs. They provide air-conditioned cabins, and wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, and accommodate about 80 campers per weekly session. Programming includes arts and crafts, swimming, horseback riding, and fishing. Volunteering is good exposure for all ages,” says Todd. 

“These are life experiences they would not otherwise have, and it gives parents a bit of a respite. Overall, UCP of Mobile serves over 750 individuals and families a month. Camp SMILE serves around 150 campers each summer. A talent show that is live-streamed closes each week of Camp SMILE.” 

“Life Without Limits is the overall mission/vision for UCP of Mobile, and Camp SMILE is just one of the ways we work to achieve that goal for the people we serve. Individuals with special needs are a 24/7 commitment. Siblings can also go to Camp SMILE.” says Todd

UCP offers Early Intervention Services for children identified with disabilities and developmental delays at ages 0 to 3 years old. They have 16 services that can be found on their website at United Cerebral Palsy of Mobile, Inc. Camp SMILE began in 1972 when Glenn Vernon of Citronelle started the program on behalf of his sister with Downs Syndrome. The word SMILE stands for Special Meaning In Life Experiences.

Ashley O’Brien, whose mother, Ann Richardson, a Senior Vice President, and Senior Consultant at Whiting Bradford Wealth Management Group in Mobile has been a committed supporter of UCP for years. She passed her huge personal commitment to Ashley, and she was recently elected to UCP’s Board of Directors. 

Last Spring, Ashley sponsored a walk from New Orleans to Camp SMILE that attracted 30 participants. Ashley and Ann participated in the Miles for SMILEs fundraiser. The group was made up of teams of two walking 13.6 miles per day, with staff following to lend support. It was a weeklong event and 100% of the funds raised went to Camp SMILE.

Fundraising events for UCP include an inshore fishing tournament in May. The biggest fundraiser of the year is Food and Folly,  which is happening on September 19 at Ft. Whiting from 6:30 until 9:30. This is the premier event of the season and will have a Mardi Gras theme. The dress is business casual, but if you are hankering to dust off your tails and Mardi Gras costumes, feel free. The Excelsior Brass Band from Mobile will be on hand, so expect a second line to break out!

There will be a tasting of several libations including bourbon, vodka, rum, and even nonalcoholic options. Also, there will be a “Wine Pull” sponsored by The Orthopaedic Group that evening. A Silent Auction began on September 5, before the event, and will end at 8:45 PM before Food and Folly concludes. You can see what items they will have for bid here.  

“It will have a little bit of everything,” says Ashley. “Gift baskets are popular, along with condos and hotel stays, tickets to the Shakespeare Festival including accommodations at the Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery. There is even a set of braces for auction.”

A little-known fact is that United Cerebral Palsy was founded in Mobile in 1954 by the Junior League of Mobile. It was called Beacon of Hope at the time. In 1957, UCP became a United Way agency with most funding from state and federal grants. Local, regional, and national foundations are also big areas of support. UCP also offers T-shirt printing through third parties and offers graphic design in-house.

Get your tickets for Food and Folly now. The cost is $60 per individual or $100 per couple. There will be more than 20 food vendors. Ashley says they hope to have between 350 and 400 people attend and hope to raise $80,000 to $100,000 at the event. 

As you can see, UCP is not just for people with Cerebral Palsy anymore. Any child or adult with a disability is welcome. “Our hope is to continue to grow and evolve the organization to best serve the needs of our area’s children and adults with disabilities,” says Todd

Todd concludes our visit by saying, “What do you say to an individual with disabilities? “Just say hey.” 

Thank you, Todd and Ashley, for your commitment and for having such a positive impact in our community.