This April, 520 virtual and in-person participants took on the annual Active for Autism 5K and Kids Dash, getting active to support autism research during Autism Acceptance Month! Participants hailed from 28 states, as well as Washington, DC and Canada, and ranged in age from 3 to 80. Together, they raised nearly $50,000 for OAR’s Changing Lives Fund.
“The 7th annual Active for Autism 5K & Kids Dash was our biggest event to date, with 520 total participants. It’s exciting to see this event grow every year during Autism Acceptance Month, and we’re already looking forward to next year!” RUN FOR AUTISM Director Sarah Culver said. “Thank you to all the participants, sponsors, volunteers, and donors for helping to make this great event a success every year.” 
On Sunday, April 13th, in-person participants gathered for the race in Alexandria, Virginia. Despite some gusty winds, race morning was fun for all. Kids and adults alike had fun at the face painting and tattoo station, enjoyed coffee and treats from the Arkibuna Coffee Truck, and learned more about OAR and the race’s sponsors at a series of booths. Thanks to GSJJ, all in-person 5K participants received an Active for Autism 5K medal after crossing the finish line! The event concluded with a raffle drawing, the presentation of awards, and the Kids Dash.
OAR is grateful for everyone who helped make this event a success. Special shoutouts go to Noelle Lewis and Catherine Nisley, our top individual fundraisers, who each raised over $1400, and the Nu Xi Zeta team, which raised over $2,250 as the highest fundraising team.
Pictures and full results will be available on the event page.
If you are excited about joining us for the 2026 Active for Autism 5K & Kids Dash, sign up for the interest list and we’ll email you when registration opens for next year’s race! We can’t wait to see you there.
The post Another Successful Active for Autism 5K and Kids Dash is in the Books! first appeared on Organization for Autism Research.
