PERRYSBURG — When Mike Ariss learned that his son, Jonah, was diagnosed as autistic six years ago, he
struggled to understand the situation and became an avid advocate for his son and the 2,500,000 other
children with autism in the U.S.
On Friday, Ariss was able to surprise Miranda Evans, Jonah’s teacher and intervention specialist at Fort
Meigs Elementary School, with a $10,000 gift to Perrysburg Schools Foundation — establishing a fund to
support the autism unit at Fort Meigs and launch an initiative to bring awareness and support to the
special education programs, students and families at Perrysburg Schools.
The amazing work of Evans and the staff of Perrysburg Schools is what led Ariss to want to make this
gift.
He talked about the appreciation he feels for the advances that Jonah has made, and he said that once he
saw a recent video sent to him of Jonah reading, he knew they needed to do something to give back.
“We can’t thank Mike and the Ariss family enough for this amazing gift and the confidence it shows in
Miranda and the efforts of Perrysburg Schools,” said Jeff Abke, director of development for Perrysburg
Schools/Perrysburg Schools Foundation. “The leadership that this shows in this important endeavor allows
us to move toward our mission of ensuring all students achieve their greatest potential. PSF thanks Mike
and the family for this gift and the outstanding work of all of our teachers like Miranda.”