Friends and family,

As I write this, I am looking at my personal vision board from 2011 that shows a photo of Alcatraz Island, captioned with "Escape from Alcatraz!!" This race has been on my bucket list for 9 years! We will 'Escape Alcatraz' and swim 1.5 miles in strong currents and 55 degree water across the San Francisco Bay, then we will cycle 18 miles and run 8 miles through the hills of San Francisco, then finish the race with a 400-step climb up the dreaded Sand Ladder.

Because this race means to much to me, I have chosen to make it bigger than myself and into an opportunity to RACE FOR AUTISM and raise $2,500 for a dear cause: the ORGANIZATION FOR AUTISM RESEARCH.

I am asking for your support. All proceeds will go to the Organization for Autism Research, a national non-profit organization that funds research and offers resources and scholarships to individuals diagnosed with autism and their families. My goal is to raise $2,500 by April 30, 2020. While swimming across the bay and biking and running the hills of San Francisco this June, I know that each mile will symbolize another step on the road to a better quality of life for those affected by autism. With your help, I will raise money needed to help fund essential research and invaluable resources for kids living on the Autism spectrum like Zev, Zac, Colton, Aiden, and Bella, and their families.

WHY RUN FOR AUTISM?
1 in 68 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism. By joining 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 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.
• $30,000 fully underwrites an applied research pilot study.

Please consider sponsoring me in my RACE FOR AUTISM. Every donation, no matter how small, makes a difference. To find out more about the Organization for Autism Research, please visit the Web site www.researchautism.org. I truly appreciate your kindness and willingness to help, and again, thank you for your generosity... We CAN make a difference!

Sincerely,

Ann Atkinson