Red Racer IPA for Autism

April is Autism Awareness Month and Central City Brewers + Distillers has launched their annual IPA for Autism fundraising initiative for Simon Fraser University’s Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and Magnetoencephalography (MEG) research for children with autism.

Red Racer IPA for Autism

Throughout the month of April, Central City will donate $2 from every 6-pack of 355ml cans and $0.25 from every 473ml cans of specially marked Red Racer IPAs to autism research. In addition, $0.25 from every pint of IPA sold at participating BC restaurants and pubs will also be donated.

Red Racer IPA is Central City’s best selling craft beer and is available in most Canadian provinces. Since 2012, Central City has raised a total of $175,000 for autism research.

Autism now affects 1 in 68 children: 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls, a 30 per cent increase over the last survey released in 2012 when it was 1 in 88 children. While currently there is no cure for autism, research has shown that early intervention treatments can improve a child’s development. Early and encouraging results suggest that one treatment in particular, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), can improve communication and behavior in children with autism. Further research, however, is needed to conclusively establish if HBOT is an effective treatment for autism.

The autism HBOT-MEG study at SFU is the first in Canada that specifically studies the effectiveness of using hyperbaric oxygen therapy on children with autism. Included in the research is the use of MEG neuroimaging to evaluate whether HBOT can positively impact brain activity underlying cognition and behaviour in children with autism.

The team of SFU researchers includes Dr. Ryan D’Arcy, one of the world’s foremost neuroscientists, and Sherri Ferguson, Director of SFU’s Environmental Medicine and Physiology Unit (EMPU), home to Canada’s only civilian research hyper/hypobaric chamber.

On top of the IPA for Autism campaign, Central City Brewers + Distillers and Simon Fraser University will soon announce a black-tie evening with both live and silent auctions in support of the program. Follow along on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more information.