Hello world! My name is Anthony, I am fundraising to raise awareness and fund a college grant for a young person with autism. By donating to this cause, you are helping in our fight against the growing tide of autism.

Right now 1 in 54 children are diagnosed. Autism is so broad that it is called "being on the spectrum". This means that autism can manifest itself in many different ways. This makes autism very difficult to identify.

I have a close loved one that was diagnosed with autism. After finding this out, my entire family rallied together. And I learned to do something that I was never good at. I learned to see the world through another's eyes. I learned so much from this journey with my little man. After years of therapy and help, he is coming into his own. Just yesterday we were watching the Lakers game, and he saw Anthony Davis accidentally kick Jae Crowder in a sensitive area, and he said "That was inappropriate touching"! It was a great moment. I learned that through patience and structure that He has so many strengths and powers that are beyond comprehension.

Now I turn my sights on the fact that any moment there will be another family that receives this diagnosis. I want to make sure that they know they have people fighting for their well being. That is where you come in. Our goal is to raise at least $3,000. That dollar amount will give a young person on the spectrum a scholarship to pursue their higher education. Anything we raise beyond that will help fund research on autism and provide additional assistance to families.

I have learned throughout my life that people don't want pity, they just want a chance. By donating you are giving someone a chance.

If you are in a position to donate, I hope you do. There is nothing more powerful than another human reaching out and helping another. That is what a real super hero is. If you can't donate , then I hope you increased your awareness. Please remember some basic signs: If your child is speech delayed, avoids eye contact, or does repetitive tasks to find comfort, you should take them to see a doctor for a checkup. EARLY INTERVENTION IS THE KEY.

Thank you for your time, remember, we are all in this together.
We all share a short time in this world together, there is no true norm or perfect human being, we are not cut from the exact same cloth, we have our differences, and if we can accept those differences and see people for who they are versus what the world tries to tell you what you should be, then maybe we will discover a true love that will bind all humankind.

Sincerely,
Tony Fore,
(Proud parent of a child on the spectrum)


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.
$40,000 fully underwrites an applied research pilot study.