Thank you for visiting my Personal Fundraising Page.  On October 10, I will be running my first ever Chicago Marathon.  To make this event even more special, I will be running in support of the Organization for Autism Research.  My good friend, Niki Nation's son was diagnosed with autism last year.  Aiden is a sweet, mild-mannered, happy little boy who suffers from developmental delays.  You can see pictures of Aiden below to the left. 

Aiden and children like him benefit greatly from early detection and developmental therapies.  But our current understanding of autism only scratches the surface of this complex spectrum disorder.  There is so much we don't know, and so much left to discover.  Did you know...

• Autism now affects 1 in 110 children and 1 in 70 boys
• Autism prevalence figures are growing
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined
• Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases
• Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism

• Leukemia: Affects 1 in 1,200 / Funding: $277 million
• Muscular Dystrophy: Affects 1 in 100,000 / Funding: $162 million
• Pediatric AIDS: Affects 1 in 300 / Funding: $394 million
• Juvenile Diabetes: Affects 1 in 500 / Funding: $156 million
• Autism: Affects 1 in 110 / Funding: $79 million

(figures from autismspeaks.org)

We need to change these numbers.  Autism affects so many people, and yet receives so little research funding.  You can make a difference by donating to OAR today through this website.  

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to make a contribution to my fundraising efforts. Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!