Local ‘Lollapalooza’ features 100 bands on 9 stages
MAUMEE – Fortunately, things haven’t gone exactly as planned for Acoustics for Autism; it’s grown exponentially.
Originally slated to be a one-time benefit concert in Uptown Maumee, the event has snowballed into what organizer Nicole Khoury describes as a “community Lollapalooza.”
Khoury explained that “the goal was just to get a good group of people together to raise money so that parents’ out-of-pocket expenses would be less burdensome for autism spectrum disorders. We literally thought we were going to have one event, one time, and call it a day. And here we are, 18 years later.”
On Sunday, the 18th Annual Acoustics for Autism will kick off at noon, featuring 100 bands performing on nine stages. The event, which now has over 120 sponsors, engulfs the entire Uptown Maumee neighborhood, including the closure of the city’s main east-west thoroughfare, Conant Street.
The first show was held on March 9, 2008, with 12 bands performing from noon to 2 a.m. at the Village Idiot bar on Conant Street. The concert raised nearly $10,000, and every dollar went to the providers who made the event possible and for scholarships to pay for treatment for children with autism.
The benefit has been held every year since, run entirely by volunteers, with no admission charge for the 15,000-or-so people who attend.
Khoury founded the nonprofit Project iAm to handle the fundraising and provide scholarships to families with children on the autism spectrum.
“We’ve distributed over $1 million to families over the last 17 years, so it’s pretty significant,” Khoury said. “What we’ve been able to accomplish is amazing.”
Scott Hayes, a member of Project iAm’s board, said the money is used for a wide range of expenses to help families with a child on the autism spectrum.
“The spectrum is so broad, what works for one family will not work for another. We provide the funding, so whether it be for karate lessons or a product or for summer camp, as long as a health professional says that might work, then we’re able to fund that.”
In 2024, the event raised $279,000 after expenses to be used for scholarships.
Khoury, whose day job is serving as a Toledo Municipal Court judge, will be among the musicians performing when her group, Arctic Clam, steps onto the main stage at 5:30 p.m.
She said she got involved with helping families with autistic children when a friend of hers had a child diagnosed about 20 years ago. Few people knew much about autism at the time, with most people’s awareness limited to Dustin Hoffman’s character in the 1988 movie Rain Man, Khoury said.
In 2000, one in 150 children were diagnosed with autism, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. In 2020, the most recent data available, the number of children diagnosed rose to one in 36.
The San Diego-based Autism Research Institute defines autism as “a developmental disorder with symptoms that appear within the first three years of life.” The two main symptoms are deficits in social communication and interaction, along with restricted, repetitive behaviors, interests or activities.
The formal diagnostic name is autism spectrum disorder, with “spectrum” indicating that autism appears in different forms with varying levels of severity.
Project iAm provides scholarships for a wide variety of treatments, from horseback riding and swim lessons to specialty clothing or assistance dogs. The funds are intended to reduce a family’s costs for treatment that typically would not be covered by insurance.
“Look, I’m not a parent and I’m not a doctor,” Khoury said, “and because what may help one child on the spectrum may not help another child on the spectrum. We don’t believe it’s up to us to determine how you should use your money. We want you to find something that might be unique and help your child.”
As long as a family’s scholarship application includes medical documentation and a recommendation from a medical professional saying they believe the treatment might help, Project iAm will fund it, she said.
As for the music lineup, Khoury said every band has to apply each year – even her own band, Arctic Clam. But bands that have played the event before are virtually guaranteed to be offered a spot again.
“If nothing else, I believe in loyalty,” she said.
The success of the Maumee benefit event caught the eye of actor Dennis Quaid, who is bringing the local event to the national stage with his program, The Viewpoint Project. Quaid’s crew already created videos of different lengths that focus on Project iAm and Acoustics for Autism.
“His production team called me up and said, ‘We decided this is too cool of a thing, and we’d like to do a story.’ So we’re being featured,” Khoury exclaimed.
One can’t help but wonder how Khoury finds the time to serve as judge, perform as a musician, organize one of the biggest music events in Northwest Ohio, and volunteer as executive director of a major charity.
“I think my whole life I have lived being consistently focused and busy, and I just have a ton of energy that needs to be channeled somewhere,” she said. “And so, you know, you go to work and you do what you need to do and then my outlets for relieving that stress is to play music and organize great events.
“It’s what I do to relieve stress, and even though it causes some stress, it causes a different kind of stress,” she said with a laugh.
For more information on Acoustics for Autism 2025, go to acousticsforautism.com.
