The Route So Far - Google Maps


View X-America by Bicycle in a larger map

Why?

We are doing this ride to raise money for Research Autism. We are aiming to raise £20,000.
We are supporting Research Autism because my cousin Jamie is severely affected by the disease, and I have seen its effects not only on him but on the whole family." He is 13yrs old, but cannot yet talk.
Just take a moment to imagine not being able to talk.
Imagine understanding everything going on around you, but not being able to comment.
Imagine having to be dressed every morning in clothes you don't choose, and then hurting your parents as you try to tell them you wanted the blue shirt today.
Imagine being swamped by having to hear everything that everyone is saying around you, and not being able to listen to just one thing at once. Jamie loves being in a swimming pool, just floating, legs held motionless by the weight of the water, while he keeps his ears underwater to just relax, hearing nothing.
He understands everything - he appears to have a photographic memory - but can’t get his thoughts out.
Frustration leads to despair, and anger, which is just one of the many things that his family has to deal with.
He has extremely specific eating requirements and requires round the clock supervision. Jamie is at the severe end of the autistic spectrum, but given that one in 100 people suffer from the disease (with varying severity), and that everyone has some autistic traits, it is shocking that so little is known about it'.
Click here to support our cause and donate to Research Autism.
Read the "Meet Jamie" post - the only post in February, for more information about Jamie, and a poem - painstakingly slow for Jamie to type, but ultimately incredible.

Photo Video - New York to St Louis

May 3, 2010

How you can help us!

Does anybody out there have 30 mins a day to spare to help two of your friends and Autism? We are cycling for 8 hours a day, and spend the rest of the time eating, sleeping and planning our route, so have no time to do some of the important work of raising awareness for autism along the way.

What we would like you to do:
- Find and Email Newspapers and Radio stations in towns along our way before we get to them
- Find and Email Autism Associations in towns along our way before we get to them
- Put up a few tweets now and then on our twitter site – a mix of news and motivational quotes

What you will get from it:
- Helping out your friends on their epic X-America4autism challenge
- Mentions in some random small town newspapers
- And a couple of good lines for your CV

If you can help for a minimum of a week – send an email to me at ruddyonline@googlemail.com – telling me when you would be able to help us between now and the 1st July.

Thanks for your help.

1 comment:

  1. Marcos R CastilloMay 13, 2010 at 7:53 AM

    Hello my name is marcos, I am tara's boyfriend...She works at mimmos restaurant in Mcleansboro. I am interested in what you guys are doing an I would love to help. If you have a route planned I would like to get the names of the towns and I would contact the newspapers and radio stations for you. Also I read about the problems with your bicycels and if you need any supplies the nearest bbicycle shop is in the next town west of Mcleansboro called Benton,

    WIGGS BICYCLES
    1103 North Main Street
    Benton, IL 62812
    (618) 439-6712

    that is the only shop around here, so if anything is needed i suggest you adjust the route to benton if not already in route. My Email is green_fox22@hotmail.com let me know if you guys need anything, and if you plan on comming back through this area you will have a place to stay if you contact me.

    Marcos

    ReplyDelete