The 50th running of the historic New York City Marathon is happening on the very day I will turn 50. This was too much of a coincidence to ignore - so I have to run it, right? I ran my only other marathon 3 weeks before my 40th birthday, and I am excited to go for it again.

This time I am motivated by more than the desire to prove age is only a number. I am inspired to run in support of and to raise funds for the Organization for Autism Research on the RUN FOR AUTISM team. My oldest boy, Jacob, is a twenty one year old young man navigating life on the autism spectrum. He works so hard to adapt to the world around him to pursue his college education, and develop independent work and living skills. I am so happy to have found this opportunity to help raise funds for more awareness creation and scientific discovery that can help people on the autism spectrum, and to honor Jacob's amazing journey.

I appreciate your consideration of a donation of any amount to join me in this pursuit.

Some more cool facts on WHY I am joining the RUN FOR AUTISM team (and hope you will to with a donation of any amount):

1 in 54 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism. The RUN FOR AUTISM team supports 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.
$40,000 fully underwrites an applied research pilot study.