NAAR Walk for Autism Research

The Long Island Chapter of the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) will host the fourth annual WALK F.A.R. (Friends for Autism Research) For NAAR on Sunday, Oct. 26 at Eisenhower Park.

Jim Watkins, co-anchor for the News at Ten on WPIX-Channel 11 will serve as Honorary Chairperson and will attend the WALK. This year, NAAR has set $1 million as the goal for this event. In 2002, The Long Island Chapter of NAAR hosted more than 7,000 people and raised more than $800,000.

Moreover, The Long Island WALK F.A.R. has helped NAAR fund research studies/fellowships in the NY area at The State University of New York at Stony Brook, Columbia University, The Institute for Basic Research in Staten Island, and The Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.

A recent Newsweek article (July 28, 2003) stated that one person in 160 lives with some degree of autism. That is an increase of three to four times the rate during the 1970s, making funding research a top priority for families affected by this disorder.

Key details of the WALK include: date, Sunday, Oct. 26; at Eisenhower Park, East Meadow; check-in at 9 a.m.; starting time 10:30 a.m., sharp.

All participants must register at www.autismwalk.org, or call the Long Island office of NAAR at 327-4646.

About NAAR

Established in 1994, the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) is the first non-governmental organization in the country dedicated to funding and accelerating biomedical research that seeks to determine the causes, prevention, effective treatments and ultimately, a cure for autism spectrum disorders.

Since then, NAAR has committed more than $14.9 million to directly fund 169 autism research projects and fellowships worldwide - more than any other non-governmental organization in the U.S covering a wide range of categories such as genetics, language, & communication, epidemiology, neurosciences, behavior, immunology, and molecular and cellular biology. Additionally, the National Institute of Health (NIH) has picked up four projects -- a strong validation of the quality of NAAR's research initiatives.