FAMILIES AND FRIENDS WALK TO SUPPORT AUTISM RESEARCH
By Mitchell Hammer, nyarm
Long Island will host the Second Annual "WALK F.A.R. for NAAR" walkathon on Saturday, September 29, at Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, Long Island - Parking Field #6. The three mile walk, which starts at 9:00 AM, will support the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR). The money raised from this event will support NAAR's primary mission to fund biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatment and cure of autism and related disorders. Last year's inaugural Long Island Walk drew 4, 500 walkers and raised $600,000.00. Thanks to the success of Long Island's and other inaugural Walks, NAAR was able to double its funding commitment to autism research efforts this year to a total of $ 3.1 million dollars.
Enthusiasm is building for the walk. Michael Dowling, President and Chief Executive Officer of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, is Corporate Team Chairman of the Walk and is anticipating a large team of walkers from the North Shore-LIJ Health System, a Presenting Sponsor of the walk. Presenting Sponsor Cablevision, as well as other key sponsors: Goldman Sacks, the Young Autism Program Foundation, Keyspan EnergyCorp., Fleet Bank and WKJY Radio (KJOY 98.3 FM) are all planning teams of walkers for this event.
Some key facts about autism:
- Once thought to be a "rare" disorder, autism is now believed to affect as many as one in every 500 children, making it the third most common developmental disability.
- Autism affects 3-4 times the number of children estimated just a decade ago and the numbers continue to increase.
- Few disorders are as devastating to a child or his or her family. Although normal in appearance, children with autism are unable to normally speak and communicate, related to others, learn or understand the infinite nuances of human interaction. Nearly half of all children with autism never develop functional speech.
- Autism affects individuals throughout the world and of every racial, ethnic and socioeconomic background.
- Autism is more prevalent than multiple sclerosis. It is three to five times the incidence of cystic fibrosis. Yet it receives just a small fraction of the millions in research dollars that these diseases receive from public and private sources.
- Autism is among the most heritable of all brain disorders.
Before NAAR was founded, few scientists were engaged in autism research, in part because there was not a single nonprofit in the U.S. providing the needed "seed" money to fund preliminary research. Since 1997 NAAR has committed over $6 million for autism research to more than 50 scientists in the U.S., Canada, Italy, Spain and Russia.
For information on participating as a walker or to volunteer in the Long Island "Walk F.A.R. for NAAR", please contact Co-Chair Mitchell Hammer at (212) 308-7271 or Co-Chair Marty Schwartzman at (718) 776-4788.
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