HELP!! Walk NOW for Autism!

Hi, friends!

Walk NOW for Autism!

Well, not *right* now. And you don't actually have to walk anywhere. I will do it for you.

May 18 is the Walk Now for Autism 5K walk in Chicago. My colleagues and I have spent a lot of time this past year discussing autism and how we can best serve those families with a member on the autism spectrum. I decided that one thing I, personally, can do is to help raise awareness and money for research by participating in the event.

I will be walking and I would like to ask every one of you to contribute in any way you can. Seriously. If you can only give $1, I will take it and thank you with sincere appreciation.

A few facts (I am, after all, a Librarian):

* 1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism
* 1 in 94 boys is on the autism spectrum
* 67 children are diagnosed per day
* A new case is diagnosed almost every 20 minutes
* More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined
* Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
* Autism costs the nation over $90 billion per year, a figure expected to double in the next decade
* 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
* There is no medical detection or cure for autism

You can contribute directly online by going to our Baby Got Book team page. If you are not comfortable using your credit card (or want to give less than the $20 minimum the site requires from credit card donations -- and we would appreciate ANY amount!), you can click on "make offline donation" and a form will pop up. Fill out the form, print it, and you can mail it with a check made out to "Autism Speaks" to the address they provide (or, if you'll see me soon, just give it to me and I can take it along to the walk).

Proceeds from sales of the Baby Got Book shirts at http://www.cafepress.com/book_kitten/1909160 will also be donated to Autism Speaks.

Please feel free to pass this on to others who might be interested in contributing, too.

THANK YOU!

wishing peace, love, and healthy children to all,
Katharine