I am raising funds for the Organization for Autism Research in memory of my brother Tim and in honor of my two nephews on the autism spectrum. This cause is of great importance to me and my family.

Having many immediate family members with children on the autism spectrum has shown me the lengths to which these parents will go to give their children as normal of a life as possible. Some examples of actions my siblings and parents have taken to do this:

• Starting to plan and save--as early as elementary school--to help the child with housing so that they can live a normal life on their own.
• Sending the child out-of-state for toilet training when the child was in grade school
• Taking the child to Mexico for stem cell treatments
• Trying expensive supplements and food plans with various levels of success

These are all children who are considered on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. These extraordinary measures are why autism research is so critical and why I am running to raise funds for the Organization for Autism Research!!

In the words of one of my family members with a child on the autism spectrum:

"Many parents of autistic children seek to find interventionsbut also strive to accept their autistic children just as they are. This is an extremely difficult emotional tightrope to walk.

And if that wasn't enough stress, the siblings of the autistic child are also struggling with the dynamics of having autism in the family.

Professionals are finding more and more children diagnosed early on with autism. This could become a national crisis. Statistics show that autistic children are seven to nine times more likely to commit suicide. We faced this tragedy in our own family.

These donations go directly to the autism Foundation who uses them to find interventions and coping strategies for this neuro-atypical population. Please help us find a way to help the autistic in our society. They cannot stand up for themselves. So we must stand up for them."

100% of your donation will go the Organization for Autism Research! Donations are accepted through November 17, 2024!

Below are some fun memes that my brother would share on social media or pictures from the race. 😄








1 in 36 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism. Here are some of the ways that OAR uses the funds raised by the RUN FOR AUTISM team:

$10 provides a Curriculum in a Box professional development set to general education teachers.
$25 provides 15 copies of A Guide to Safety to families and first responders.
$100 provides the Kit for Kids peer education resource to an entire elementary or middle school.
$150 provides 100 copies of a Life Journey through Autism guidebook sent to a community support group or military installation.
$1,000 provides a research grant for a graduate student studying autism.
$3,000 provides a scholarship for a student with autism to attend college.
$50,000 fully underwrites an applied research pilot study.