May 5-2013
In an unprecedented move by the Jamaican Publishing House LMH Publishers, the company has committed fifty percent of profits earned from the sale of its latest release Maia’s Journal a Jamaican Mother’s Journey through Autism and Other Issues, to the Author’s Foundation; The Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation (MCADF) – to help with the work being carried out by the Foundation.
Announced at the official launch of the book on Sunday April 28-2013 at the Pulse Complex in Jamaica, head of the LMH Publishing house Lester Mike Henry made the commitment during the course of the launch, after hearing the reaffirmation by Maia Chung author of the book that, all the Foundation’s percentages earned from the work … will be going into helping Jamaica’s Autistically affected and disabled.
Guest speaker at the launch Government Senator Norman Washington Grant pledged the continued support of the
Senator Grant spoke in his dual role as head of the Mavis Bank Coffee Factory and official patron of The Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation, since its inception in 2008.
The launch functioned as a multi-purpose event, taking place as it did on the last weekend of Global Autism month, observed annually in April.
At the launch the winner of the Foundation’s annual Autism and Disabilities Ambassadors Competition 16 year old Shakira Bennett of the Queens school who won the 2013 contest, to the tune of 200-thousand dollars’ worth of prizes, received her prizes…which included two CSEC grants valued at 40-thousand dollars in total.
In addition author and Foundation head Maia Chung, thanked those gathered as well, as all the entities nationally and internationally that had helped the Foundation see five years of successful operation… a thing which became fact on April 28-2013 the anniversary of the launch of the Foundation.
The occasion was used to commemorate the half a decade anniversary of the MCADF.
A two month book tour in the United States has been confirmed for Maryland, Washington, Baltimore, New York and several other areas in the US, and will begin at the end of June 2013.
The book tour is being sponsored by the Jamaican Diaspora business interests in that area, specifically the Jamaican based Global Construction Company.
The tour is expected to highlight not just the cause the book has been devised for, but also expected to assist with sales of the work, which the Author’s first.
The launch was held under the patronage of First Lady Patricia Allen, the wife of the Governor General.
Books have been sold locally and internationally and are available at Kingston Book Shops and Sangster’s Book Stores across the country – as well as selected stores where books are sold and all the national airports.
Photos by Kanhai Condison: (1) Lester Mike Henry and Jollywood Jamaica Star Angel (2) friend and supporter Kalisha Morgan and Author Maia Chung (3) supporters of the MCADF Singer High a Ziya and Jollywood Jamaica actress Deon Hardy pose with a copy of Maia's Journal (4) Lester Mike Henry, Maia Chung, Actor Angel, Mrs. Dawn Henry and a patron laugh as they pose for the cameras (5) Maia Chung and her son Quinn Garren James Smith who is her youngest son and diagnosed as severely Autistic
