Hi everyone. I have completed 10 marathons - so you may ask why another marathon when I tell you I will be running the 2025 New York marathon for OAR and asking for your donation and support. There are many reasons why one would sign up for unnecessary pain and running for hours to reach the finish line, my number one motivation is my son Brandon.

Did you know that 0.01% of people finish a marathon? That’s 1 in 10,000. If you’re a runner, your chances of running a marathon are pretty low!

But if you’re a child today in Canada, you have a 1 in 32 chance of being diagnosed with autism.

My son Brandon was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 years old. Autism affects how kids like Brandon think, learn, and communicate. Organizations like OAR help young people like Brandon navigate the world and be their best selves.

Donate today and be a part of OAR’s work in providing resources for teachers and parents, scholarships for autistic adults and advocacy.

I am running for Brandon, running for the beauty of finishing (another) marathon, and most importantly, running to help make the world a more inclusive place for those 1 in 32 kids who will be diagnosed with autism.

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.