George Washington University Student Takes Strides to Raise Autism Awareness

As a Community Outreach Intern for the American Autism Association this summer, Lauren Sadowski was determined to create a fundraising project that could happen despite the nationwide lockdown occurring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  After some brainstorming, Sadowski decided to do a virtual fundraiser, where the more family and friends donated, the more she would run.  She chose to commit to running half a mile for every $54 raised, symbolic of the 1 in 54 children in the United States with autism.  

Sadowski found that many of her friends and family were surprised by how common autism is, so she was happy to raise awareness about the cause through her fundraiser.  “I have been working with individuals with developmental disabilities, focusing on autism, for about 5 years now, so my friends and family have heard a lot about the different experiences I’ve had, but it definitely sinks in a bit more when they hear the numbers 1 in 54.” she said.  

Sadowski has been pleasantly surprised with the outcome of her project, which she called “Run the Spectrum.”  “I initially was worried that I wouldn’t even reach my goal of $1,000 but I have now surpassed $1,500!  I am very excited about the response and I feel lucky to have such supportive family and friends.”  The current total leaves her running at least 15 miles so far.  She has been running the amount about 2-3 miles at a time, and is about halfway done now.  

As a rising junior at The George Washington University studying psychology and speech, language and hearing sciences, Sadowski hopes to use what she has learned at the American Autism Association to further her work with individuals with autism.  “I have really enjoyed connecting with the autism community and helping the American Autism Association in making resources more accessible to everyone.”  

Lauren Sadowski’s fundraiser will be open until the end of July, and she will continue to run all summer.  You can donate here, and watch a video below to learn more!