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A father's
fight against autism
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| By: Al
Wicklund , Staff Writer
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06/06/2003 |
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Ride for Autism
event planned for next weekend in Monroe.
MONROE — Andy Abere
of Samantha Drive, the founder and organizer
of the Ride for Autism, is expecting a large
field of cyclists for the third annual ride
— if the weather cooperates.
"This is the third annual ride. We had
400 participants in each of the first two
events. We may have more than 500 this time,
but the weather could play a role in that,"
he said Tuesday.
The Ride for Autism will be held June 14
at Brookdale Community College on Newman
Springs Road in Lincroft. There will be
routes of from seven to 100 miles and
starting times from 7 a.m. to noon. The
bicyclists will travel at their own pace.
"The routes are scenic with no major
hills. The longer routes start in Monmouth
County, Brookdale's home county, and extend
into Ocean County before turning back to
Monmouth," Mr. Abere said.
All routes begin and end at Brookdale.
Registration is $40 for those 18 years and
older and $10 for those under the age of 18.
The wearing of helmets is a requirement.
Prices include breakfast, lunch and
rest-stop refreshments.
Mr. Abere said eating is part of the fun
of the day.
"I like to say that, at the end of the
ride, there are lots of folks with tired
legs, full bellies and smiles on their
faces," he said.
The first two rides raised a total of
$40,000, but Mr. Abere said, while the money
is important, it is not the only goal of the
event.
"Our goals for the Ride for Autism are to
raise awareness about autism, to raise money
to benefit individuals with autism and to
have fun," he said.
Mr. Abere and his wife, Lisa, work
together on the Ride project. Ms. Abere, an
artist, and in addition to helping to
organize the event, designed the logo and
T-shirts for the ride. The couple has two
children, including an 11-year-old son,
Spencer, who has autism.
He said he got the idea for the Ride for
Autism when Spencer was 8 and outgrowing his
tricycle. While shopping for a larger
tricycle, the idea developed for a Ride of
two-wheel cyclists to raise money for the
fight against autism.
He said his son mastered the two-wheeler
and didn't need a larger tricycle, but the
seed for the Ride had been planted and grew
to become a successful event.
The Aberes have lived in Monroe for five
and a half years
Mr. Abere said he has been riding a bike
most of his life, starting on the streets of
Brooklyn and continuing as he and his family
moved to Old Bridge and then to Monroe.
Mr. Abere said all proceeds from the ride
go to the New Jersey Center for Outreach and
Services for the Autism Community. Founded
in 1965 and based in Ewing, COSAC is a
nonprofit agency providing education,
services and advocacy for New Jersey's
autism community.
Autism is a developmental disability
marked by unusual, often repetitive
behaviors and a lack of social and
communication skills. Usually diagnosed
before age 3, autism is four to five times
more prevalent in boys than girls and
affects all social and ethnic groups. There
is no cure for autism.
The Ride for Autism is sponsored in part
by The Bicycle Hub of Matawan, Starbucks
Coffee and the Independence Community
Foundation.
To get more information about
registration, bicyclists can visit
www.ride4autism.org or telephone, in the
evening, (732) 521-2722. The deadline for
pre-registration is June 11.
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| ©PACKETONLINE News
Classifieds Entertainment Business -
Princeton and Central New Jersey 2003
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