Pulse BEAT
GOOD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Doug Varsano spreads joy and raises autism awareness through community events
BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON / PHOTO BY CLAUDIA JOHNSTONE
16
Uptown July ‘20
Doug Varsano is on a heartwarming pursuit to help others. His most recent inspiration for spreading joy came from his family’s 99-year-old neighbor, a Marine who fought in World War II and lives alone. “[Our neighbor] Dennis Kavanaugh told me that in addition to fighting through all 36 days of [The Battle of] Iwo Jima, his first love was karaoke,” Varsano says. Kavanaugh’s love for music sparked something in Varsano, inspiring him to bring music to his neighbor in the form of a concert in his front yard. It’s only grown since then, with additional neighborhood concerts via the back flatbed of a 1967 Chevy El Camino. When he saw the success of these community get-togethers, Varsano decided to make this endeavor more official. He founded Expectrum Group, LLC and those concerts turned into what he now calls “NeighborGood Events.” In addition to the concerts, he’s also launching food-related events in partnership with local restaurants and food trucks. “It’s about opening doors and bringing neighborhoods together to do something positive,” he says. Five percent of all proceeds from NeighborGood Events goes to Pal Experiences, a nonprofit that helps inidividuals with intellectual developmental differences and their families navigate experiences out of the home. There are also individuals on the autism spectrum assisting these events. Varsano, who serves on the Pal Experiences board, chose this cause because his son is on the autism spectrum. “My son’s diagnosis changed my life and made me a better leader, husband and father.” While in his former role as the director of sales and marketing at Omni Scottsdale at Montelucia, Varsano was instrumental in making the resort the first autism-friendly resort in the country certified through Pal Experiences, helping to create an experience video for families to view prior to coming to the hotel to prepare. “Families impacted by the developmental disability can access videos of venues in advance of going to a game, a show, a property or restaurant and it tells them what they can expect so that their anxieties are reduced,” he says. Learn more at www.expectrumgroup.com.