Aspies For Freedom

Source: http://www.oacrs.com/News/2005/January/Jan24.htm From the OACRS (Ontario Association of Children's Rehabilitation Services) homepage's section "Family Net"

Father carries bag of cement across Canada for autism
Monday, January 24, 2005 - Michelle Strutzenberger

On April 15, 2005 Michael Coles will begin a walk across Canada to raise funds for autism treatment. As if trekking 6100 kilometres on foot isn’t enough, he plans to carry a 55 pound bag of cement on his shoulder throughout the journey. Michael says the concrete is symbolic of “carrying the load for the children” who have autism.
Michael plans to begin his journey in Halifax, Nova Scotia with completion in Vancouver, British Columbia. He anticipates it will take between five and seven months at a rate of 50 to 60 kilometres a day.

He dreams of raising $30 million, about a dollar from every Canadian.

Michael says he would like to see most of the funds raised donated directly to families who are dealing with autism. “The lion’s share of the monies raised will be earmarked… to provide proven treatment and therapy for those that need [it],” Michael tells Family Net.

“It’s very clear that in Canada the medical systems are reluctant to fund these treatments and programs for whatever reasons,” Michael adds. “I hope to cause a stir great enough by the end of this journey to change that for those in need of funding – permanently.”

Michael says the dream for this walk began after the diagnosis of one of his twin sons with Asperger’s Syndrome. As the family struggled with accessing resources and information to help their son, Michael says he realized that “something needed to be done” about the system for supporting families dealing with autism.

The idea of carrying a bag of cement across Canada came to him while he was working at his construction job. He had been lugging cement all day in the rain and the idea “just came into my head.”

“This is what I felt I needed to do to ensure that my son Isaiah and others like him have every opportunity to live a happy, healthy life,” says Michael.

Michael has been training for his walk for the past six months. He typically walks 20 miles two to three days a week with the bag of concrete grout on his shoulder.

“Once the rain backs off a little I will be increasing that amount to between 25 and 40 miles three to four days a week,” he says.

Michael has been spreading word of his trek through the media in British Columbia where he now lives. He hopes to raise awareness of the walk across Canada before it begins, to increase the likelihood of reaching his $30 million goal.

People interested in supporting the “Carrying the Load for the Children” walk can contact either call 604-613-3090 or e-mail nezosparky@yahoo.com.

A Web site is under construction which will include information about the walk, online donation capability and links to resources for autism.

The trek is a project of Little Feet Children’s Charities Society in British Columbia.

"Michael has been training for his walk for the past six months. He typically walks 20 miles two to three days a week with the bag of concrete grout on his shoulder.

“Once the rain backs off a little I will be increasing that amount to between 25 and 40 miles three to four days a week,” he says."

Obsessive? Could have aspie traits :wink:

I thought it was rather amusing he is starting in my province. Too bad it's up near where my parents live.

If they want to suffer let them - just dont give them any money  :twisted:

Wonder if it ever sets on him.  Weeeird.... But then, so am I.

I get this haunting picture the bag will get a tear and he'll be covered one rainy day in cement and then realizing maybe I should have chosen a bag of flour instead at least it washes off.  :lol:

You've obviously not had wet flour dry on you!  An amusing image, I see this guy mid-stride set in cement on the side of the street!

I was sent to camp one summer by my parents and got covered in flour, eggs, mud and all as a stupid initiation thing... yep, now what it's like to be covered in horrible sticky stuff... gross. I had to get my hair cut short because it was so stuck in there and all that it didn't want to leave.

Well, I don't know what became of his walk. I'd really rather have seen somebody raising funds for educating society about autism rather than trying to make autistic people "normal".

I wouldn't give money to anyone I don't know.  Is he raising funds for a registered Canadian charity?????

I did a search.  Here is their website.  They admit that they are not a registered charity.  http://www.littlefeetcharities.com/
If you give a donation, you have no accounting where the money will go or how it will be used and you will not receive a tax receipt.  Please do not give to people who are not registered as charities.

for anyone who bothered to read my last post ----  The website for the walk is here:   http://www.littlefeetcharities.com/

This is what he writes about his goals:  "LET'S BE VERY CLEAR... AUTISM IS AN EPIDEMIC AND GETTING WORSE EVERY DAY!! IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE! YOU DO NOT WANT AUTISM IN YOUR LIFE, IT WILL COMPLETELY ALTER YOUR FUTURE AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY.PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL IT IS IN YOUR LIFE TO SUPPORT THESE FAMILIES, THEY NEED YOUR HELP RIGHT NOW. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES.

MAKING A CONTRIBUTION TO THIS PROJECT WILL CREATE A PLACE WHERE THESE FAMILIES MAY APPLY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO PROVIDE THEIR CHILDREN THERAPY THAT IS AVAILABLE THAT WILL ALLOW THEIR CHILDREN GREATER INDEPENDENCE AS THEY GROW TO ADULTHOOD.

THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS THAT EVERY PERSON LIVING IN THIS GREAT COUNTRY OF OURS WILL DONATE A DOLLAR TO GENERATE A 30 MILLION DOLLAR FUND. PARALLEL TO THAT, IS THE POSSIBILITY ENOUGH AWARENESS ABOUT THIS SERIOUS ISSUE WILL OCCUR SO THAT FAMILIES WITH AUTISM WILL BE INCLUDED IN MEDICARE FOR THE FUTURE. ESPECIALLY FOR AS LONG AS A CHILD NEEDS THE THERAPY THAT'S AVAILABLE TO ENSURE THEIR BEST CHANCE AT A FULL AND RICH LIFE.

IF A COMPLETE GENERATION OF CHILDREN ARE TO BE LOST IN A WORLD WHERE THEY ARE UNABLE TO LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES AS THEY GROW OLDER, CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHO WILL BE LOOKING AFTER US AS WE GET OLDER?"

He is not funding genetic research directly and never mentions it.  Someone needs to make it clear that we don't believe that autism is an epidemic and that we don't want autism in our lives.

Sorry.  Maybe it seems that he is trying to help but he is not helping me.

He has made himself the CEO of the organization but it is not known if he is drawing a salary from the funds he collects.  Many people will set up a "non-profit" organization because they are unemployed and then work a few hours per month and pay themselves a salary.  They ask some people they know to join their board etc.   It sounds like they are trying to do good work but when you look at their books --- they use most of their money to pay for salaries, office costs and "fundraising" and only a small percent of the donations goes toward the cause.  

I doubt this person is independently wealthy and he must be unemployed/selfemployed to be able to have the time to walk across Canada.

For some reason the charity he had sponsored him dropped their support.   He is trying to find another registered charity.

I saw this:

"On April 15, 2005 Michael Coles will begin a walk across Canada to raise funds for autism treatment"

So why are we discussing something that was attempted more than two years ago?  

The guy probably meant well (as some cureists do as well) in the beginning and just got all confounded with the law of charities in Canada.  He likely gave up -- if he is not running his charity anymore, maybe he should delete his website.  ????

And he's ending up in Vancouver, BC -- the one and only capital of science fiction production. How much more AS can it be?