I'm running this year's NYC marathon! Voluntarily subjecting myself to 26.2 miles of pain along with countless hours of training would be a misallocation of my time unless I could make it meaningful. That's where Organization for Autism Research and you come in!

𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 $𝟐𝟓𝟎 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝. 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐀𝐑! 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 🙏.

Why support the Organization for Autism Research?
1 in 36 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism. By supporting 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 their funds:
$25 provides 15 copies of OAR's Safety Guide to families and first responders.
$100 provides the Kit for Kids peer education resource to an entire elementary or middle school.
$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.

If you've gotten to this point and still aren't convinced...

In May this year, I was at a cafe on the south shore of Lombok, an Indonesian island east of Bali. A mom and her two kids joined me on the long communal table. Even though I was diligently staring directly at my laptop, the mom and I eventually started chatting because her son was acting out a bit. Not a full on temper tantrum, but enough to penetrate through my cancelling airpods and catch my peripheral vision. She apologized and explained that he has autism. I said it wasn't an issue at all.

As we started to talk story, I learned that their family actually lived in Houston for several years before moving to Lombok. Their decision to move to Lombok was largely for their son. With roaming wild chickens and dogs instead of car fumes and skyscrapers, their new quieter, integrated life was more conducive for a child with autism.

I could sense that she had grown accustomed to raising her children with greater patience and could at times (like the moment we were in) feel frustrated, but I also saw the deep love a mother has for her child.

Through my own upbringing in an environment that nourished my sense of curiosity, I have seen the importance of shaping spaces to provide children with a level playing field of opportunity. Please join me in supporting Organization for Autism Research to help create this future. Thank You! 🙏

What I'll remember the most about the little boy in the cafe isn't him whining or squirming in his seat. It'll be his big smile that bloomed as he enjoyed his full English breakfast (adult size) while reading the latest Captain Underpants.