My name is Izzy Sotelo, and I will be running the 2022 Marine Corps Ultramarathon in Arlington, VA on behalf of the Organization for Autism Research (OAR).
What: With a few races under my belt, I have decided to assign purpose to my miles by running for others.
Why: Running has impacted me in ways I could never have expected. As such, I aspire to use it as a means for impacting the lives of others. Teaming up with the OAR, my miles are dedicated to those impacted by autism, with the goal of giving them an opportunity to enhance their quality of everyday life.
How: The OAR’s singular focus is applied research about the day-to-day realities of autism. Since 2002, they have funded 300 pilot studies. These studies have examined topics of everyday life, such as education, parent and teacher training, social skills, employment, and more. From their research, the OAR has created numerous information resources for those directly impacted by autism. Below 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.
I greatly appreciate your contribution and look forward to keeping you posted along the way!
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