Tracie L. Cohen is a native Texan growing up in a small town in Southeast of Dallas and still keeps in touch with her childhood friends. One in particular is her best friend of more than 33 years, Wynette Bownds. When Wynette told Tracie that her daughter was diagnosed with autism, Tracie took the news just as hard as her best friend. In September 2006, Tracie L. Cohen hosted a party at her downtown Fort Worth residence called Hoedown in Cowtown. She had such a great turnout that Wynette suggested that she turn it into a benefit for autism. She didn’t waste any time and began forming her orgranization, TLC Fort Worth Foundation.

TLC Fort Worth Foundation, a 501 c3 organization, was founded in response to the fast growing numbers of individuals with autism, with the intent of supporting individuals with autism and their families in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Tracie L. Cohen, founder of TLC, is passionate about making a difference in the autism community. The mission of TLC Fort Worth Foundation is to:

Increase autism awareness in the local community
Raise vital funds by hosting fundraisers and events
Improve the lives of individuals with autism

In December of 2006, Tracie was watching the news and heard a story on FEAT-NT. They were opening an outreach center and autism library for the Dallas Fort Worth area and with further inquiries  she called Wynette to let her know she was going to raise money for this wonderful organization. The Hoedown in Cowtown benefitting FEAT-NT was born.