As most of our friends and family know, we participate in the Walk Now for Autism Speaks Event in October for both of our boys, Christian and Daniel. And this year is going to be extra special to our family as the first ever 5k Before the Walk will take place! It's so neat to see something that was an idea I had last fall come all the way to an event that is actually going to take place in just 2 months!! It is super exciting for us!
As we do every year, we are fundraising and recruiting for the Walk Event. It will take place on October 15th. The 5k begins at 12:15p and after the race, each runner can then go and join a walk team (if they have one) and walk with the families for the Walk Now that will start at 1pm. This walk is incredible!! There are about 20,000 people there supporting friends, family or their own children living with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. This will be the third year walking for us, and the last two times were emotional for me, as I'm sure it'll be this year as well. It's emotional for so many reasons, but having the support of our friends and family by our sides is huge for us. We would love to have you be a part of our team! It's free to join our team and we will be ordering team shirts for anyone that is on our team (I'll be gathering shirt orders over the next 2 weeks). If you want to run in the 5k, it's only $25 (until Thursday, then it'll go up to $30).
So why do we walk? Here it is:
For Christian. For Daniel. For every family out there that needs answers now and for every family that will need answers in the years to come. Every 15 minutes a child is diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism is now more common than Downs Syndrome, Mental retardation and Cystic Fibrosis COMBINED. It affects 1 in 110 (1 in 70 boys), and is growing at a rate of 10-17% PER YEAR in the United States. It was just 2 years ago (when Christian was diagnosed) that is was 1 in 150. What will the number be in another 2 years??
Autism Speaks is the largest funder of research that is taking place for Autism. They are funding grants for research in causes, environmental factors, sibling factors, and even looking at taking the research and trying to find a possible cure.
They offer family services for families just getting the news of an Autism diagnosis and helps them sort through the mounds of information that they will be faced with. They provide a 1oo day kit, which is a resource that is necessary for families to use in the first 100 days after a diagnosis.
Autism Speaks are advocates for the rights of children and adults living with Autism. When Christian was diagnosed, we were declined ANY therapy services that he needed through our insurance. Autism was considered an excluded condition for treatments. It was nearly a year after he was diagnosed that a law was then passed in Missouri that no longer allowed insurance companies to discriminate against Autism and they were required to cover necessary treatments. Autism Speaks was in the front of that fight for advocacy.
Autism Speaks is close to our hearts and it is important for our family be a part of the Walk Now for Autism Speaks Event (and the now the 5k as well!!). We hope that you'll join our team and walk with us as well!!!
To join our team click here
To register for the 5k Before the Walk click here
If you would like to donate to our team, you can click on the first link, it goes to our team page. Thank you for any donations!! It all goes towards help find relief for families affected by Autism.
Thanks again to everyone for all their support!!!
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