When my nephew, Asa, was starting to talk, he'd come up to us and say in his little, sweet voice, "What doing?" We were all a little sad when he got a little older and it turned into the full sentence, "What are you doing?" And while the answer to his question has always had a different answer, today that answer is: running a marathon. (I still can't believe I'm doing this!)

Running long distances has never really been my thing, but something about the opportunity to take on this challenge with my sisters while supporting a great cause pulled me in. Asa was diagnosed with Autism earlier this year, so we are running to support Autism research in his honor. This will be Hayley's third marathon, while Laurel and I will each be running 26.2 for the first time.

Every dollar I raise will advance Organization for Autism Research's great cause!


WHY RUN FOR AUTISM?
1 in 36 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism. By joining the RUN FOR AUTISM team, you’re supporting OAR’s mission to fund research and resources that help people with autism and their families today.


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.