Jill and Tom Zidian believe that the new autism center that bears their name will deliver cohesive, in-demand services to patients and families.
When the new Tom and Jill Zidian Family Autism Center at Akron Children’s opened in November 2025, it brought next-level care for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For the Zidians, their $2 million gift means much more than having their names on the building. For them, autism is personal.
Bringing a taste of Italy to the Mahoning Valley
Tom’s dad, John, started a pasta distribution business in the 1940s in Youngstown, Ohio. Tom joined his dad in the business in the 1970s, expanding the line of foods to include Gia Russa pasta sauces. “I’ve traveled to Italy more than 30 times, starting in the 1980s,” Tom shared. “I loved the simple, fresh flavors of Italian pasta sauce so much that I started making it at home. Then I started bottling it, and now we have several brands we sell nationally.”
Growing and selling their business leads to more giving opportunities
Tom and his wife, Jill, rebranded the family business as Summer Garden Foods and grew it to include more than 250 pasta sauces, salad dressings and barbecue sauces. They also expanded into food product research, new product development and manufacturing for other brands. In 2024, they sold the business to a Canadian company.
Tom opened the Aqua Pazzo upscale Italian restaurant in Boardman in 2016. As their businesses grew, so did Tom and Jill’s ability to support charitable organizations throughout the community.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tom and Jill wanted to show appreciation to the Akron Children’s staff in Boardman. The Zidians secured empty plastic bottles from a supplier and delivered the bottles to the hospital, so Akron Children’s staff could fill them with hand sanitizer made at the hospital. Tom and Jill also provided gift bags with Aqua Pazzo restaurant gift cards for takeout – because the restaurant was closed due to the pandemic – plus pasta and sauce. “Hospital workers were on the front lines during a scary and uncertain time,” Tom said. “It was the least we could do to thank them for continuing to care for kids in our community.”
The Zidians’ first monetary gift to Akron Children’s came in 2019. They donated $250,000 to expand behavioral health services. “Our daughter, Jillian, came to Akron Children’s for behavioral health care. Dr. Carmen Harlan took great care of her – and the hospital staff went the extra mile to arrange for ‘Doggie Brigade’ teams to join Jillian for appointments,” Jill explained. “Knowing she would see a dog gave her a reason to come to the appointment and made such a difference with her comfort level.”
Hallways in the Tom and Jill Zidian Family Autism Center feature calming colors and quiet spaces.
The new autism center
Jillian is the inspiration for the Zidians’ donation to support the new autism center being built on the Akron Children’s campus. “She was diagnosed with autism at age 4. It was so hard to navigate the system and learn what resources were available,” Jill recalled. “Now, I want our donation to help families get the support they need, especially when their children are newly diagnosed with ASD.”
Today, Jillian is 19 years old. She works part-time at the Aqua Pazzo office – and she’s active in showing and riding horses. “Being around the horses helps to calm her down; animals trust her,” Jill said. “She also has rheumatoid arthritis, and the pain goes away when she’s riding a horse.”
Tom calls Jillian the “best salesperson ever” when she wants something – and he admires her for working hard to get through each day. “She humbles me,” he said. “If you didn’t know her, you might not know she has autism because she’s high functioning. She was a straight-A student in school, but
she struggles socially.”
The Tom and Jill Zidian Family Autism Center features:
- A soothing environment with designated quiet spaces, soft lighting and subtle colors.
- Multiple services under one roof – including behavioral health, speech therapy, medication management and social skills programming.
- Close parking and easy building access to reduce stress for patients and families.
- A primary care provider, who will offer everything from sick visits to vaccines, for patients who have struggled going to a pediatrician.
The Zidians’ hope is that the facility will make care more easily accessible for families in need. “There’s such a demand for autism care, and the waiting list is long,” Tom explained. “It’s tough when you don’t know which way to turn. We hope the new center will allow kids to get the care they need sooner. Part of gift is also funding an autism navigator position in Boardman, who will support families and connect them to the resources they need.”
Tom and Jill feel a sense of pride knowing their names will be featured on the autism center building. “We’re thankful for what we have, and we’re so happy to help kids with autism get the care they need,” Jill said. “We also hope our financial gift will inspire other families to support Akron Children’s.”
A legacy of caring
Tom learned by his father’s example about the importance of giving back. “While Dad built his pasta distribution business and raised six kids with my mom, Alice, he always had a heart for people in need,” Tom shared. “Even though Dad was busy with work and family, he regularly organized charitable spaghetti dinners and made it a priority to help our community.”
As they learned from their parents, Tom and Jill are teaching their kids about the importance of giving back. “Our son, Tommy, recently received a gift card. Instead of buying something for himself, he gave the gift card to a friend who needed shoes. That was such a kind, unselfish gesture for a 14-year-old boy,” Jill shared. “When we were in New York City, we came out of a store. Jillian saw a homeless man outside the store, and she went back in to buy him a warm coat. The kids understand it’s good to give back, and they’re carrying on our family legacy of caring.”
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To support the Tom and Jill Zidian Family Autism Center at Akron Children’s, contact Matthew Long, director of major gifts, at mlong2@akronchildrens.org.
