By: Troy MacNeill

ORLANDO, Fla. (May 1, 2023) -- Since 2016, AAU Gymnastics has been dedicated to giving back and making a difference in the world. The AAU Gymnastics Kids Helping Kids charity provides all of AAU Gymnastics a way to show their support and help out in the community. This year, through the Kids Helping Kids charity program, AAU Gymnastics is proud to support the Peyton Project.
 
The Peyton Project is a nonprofit organization with a desire to help nonspeaking individuals with autism. Finding a way to communicate can be difficult for many individuals and families. The Peyton Project’s hope is to provide resources to make this journey easier and help give assistance to those in need.
 
“I want to thank AAU Gymnastics for going to bat for my foundation. We are using my foundation to help those that cannot communicate. We want to show the world we are intelligent despite what it looks like on the outside,” said Peyton Culver.
 
Peyton was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at 2 years old. After reaching all milestones up to the age of two, Peyton never developed language past a few spoken words. After many therapy sessions and seeing specialists all around the country, by the age of 10, Peyton was still unable to communicate. However, he found a breakthrough in a letter board.
 
Through a connection, Peyton was introduced to a program that taught him to spell on a letter board. This was the avenue for Peyton to showcase his high level of intelligence and finally communicate his thoughts and feelings. Now, at 13 years old, Peyton is using a keyboard and working on typing independently to communicate.
 
“My past is the driver behind my intense desire to be an advocate,” Peyton stated on his website.
 
AAU Gymnastics will be working hand in hand with the Peyton Project to help raise funds and awareness on autism. This year, gymnasts and their teammates will be decorating shoe boxes, coffee cans, or any container to represent their team. Teams will be collecting small change to make a big change.
 
There will be a Kids Helping Kids booth set up at the AAU National Championships. Teams can bring their funds collected to the booth and help raise funds to help the Peyton Project. Every donation no matter how large or small is appreciated. No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
 
Liz Nichols, the AAU Gymnastics Outreach Director, first started the AAU Gymnastics Kids Helping Kids in conjunction with AAU Cares in 2016. Each year since, AAU Gymnastics selects a charity to support where gymnasts and clubs can collect “small change to make a big change.”

"It is my vision that I could use the AAU Gymnastics platform to give back, that is what's so important to us," said Liz Nichols. 
 
Some of the charities that AAU Gymnastics has supported in the past years include: St. Jude, Together We Rise – supporting foster children, FRIENDS – Down Syndrome Organization, Girls on the Run, and Ketia for Kids – supporting children of the military. Last year, AAU Gymnastics worked with Compass for Kids and helped provide academic and social-emotional support to empower children.
 
The 2023 AAU Gymnastics National Championships will be held in Orlando, Florida at the World Center Marriott. Competition will be from June 29 to July 3. Come out and support! For more information on AAU Gymnastics National Championships, click here.
 
For more information about the Peyton Project and to learn more about Peyton’s story, visit thepeytonproject.com. We stand with you Peyton and we stand with you in making this world a better one.