Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. On November 4th, I will be running the New York City Marathon to raise money for an Autism non-profit called For Jake's Sake.
For Jake's Sake, Inc., a certified 501(c) 3 charitable corporation, was founded by Dawn Cobak; Wicked Running Club member and mom to 8 year old Jake.
As many of you know, my son Chris was diagnosed with autism at age 3 and we were fortunate to have access and the resources to provide Chris with the many services needed. The costs of raising a child with autism are staggering and that’s why I’m so passionate about For Jake's Sake. For Jake’s Sake provides funding to families of children with autism to cover copayments and therapies not covered by health insurance. Insurance companies and public schools may not always provide the amount or type of therapy that a child with autism needs, leaving the parents to pay for the bulk of their children's expenses out of pocket.
So, what are the therapies that children with autism need? The list is long! Children with autism lack a means to communicate, and most of them benefit from speech therapy. They lack coordination and gross/fine motor skills; these are improved with Occupational Therapy. The need Social Skills groups to help them overcome the awkwardness that can make them common targets of bullying. The groups can enable them to make friends and form meaningful relationships. Some children with autism are only able to learn with Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, a specialized method of instruction particularly effective with autistic children.
Insurance copayments and out of pocket costs for these therapies can cost more than the average family can afford. ABA therapy is not covered by insurance and costs $100+/hour, with doctors recommending 20-40 hours per week. A possible $4000 per week! Speech and OT copayments can average $20/visit, with 2-10 visits per week depending on the child's needs.
For Jake’s Sake believes that NO child should be prohibited from therapies due to inability to pay, which is why they will provide qualifying families with needed funding. And, with autism affecting 1 in 84 boys in the US, there are many families out there in need.
I'm running the Marathon for children with autism and would like your help. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to this wonderful organization, no amount is too small. Checks can also be mailed to: For Jake's Sake, PO Box 3051, Beverly, MA 01915.
Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts. For more information about this organization, please visit www.forjakessake.org.
Many thanks for your support - and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!