How many pushups would you do to help an autistic child?

THANK YOU ALL PARTICIPANTS AND SPONSORS!  PUSHING PAST AUTISM 2008 WAS A SUCCESS!  OVER 11,000 PUSHUPS WERE PERFORMED!  I HAVE NOT FINISHED TOTALING DONATIONS, BUT WE RAISED A LOT OF MONEY WITH YOUR HELP! 

About Autism

Autism is a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication. It is a spectrum disorder, meaning it affects individuals differently and to different degrees. Autism is typically diagnosed before the age of three and early childhood intervention is critical. About 1 out of 150 children are now being diagnosed with autism. While there are various opinions as to the causes of and treatment for autism, it is generally agreed upon that early and intense specialized therapy and education work best. Unfortunately, public funding and insurance coverage fall substantially short when it comes to providing the services and funds needed to accommodate each child on the autism spectrum.  Currently, families of children on the autism spectrum must find and pay for private service providers on their own, which for many families is simply unaffordable. Until government agencies and insurers are pressed into action, charitable organizations are the best source of relief.  Your contribution can help a child on the autism spectrum today. Please contribute. Every donation makes a difference for someone.

Please check this web site for updates and announcements, including tips on pushup training and safety.

Latest Announcements

• For a Quick Fact Sheet that you can print and distribute, please go to Forms/FAQ of this website.  
• We welcome business and corporate sponsors.  If you would like to post your link on this website or have your logo printed on back the official T-shirt, please contact me for information at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
  
• We are currently seeking prizes for Participants and door prizes.  If you wish to donate merchandise, gift certificates, etc., please contact me for information at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
• "Proud Supporter of Pushing Past Autism – Nutmeg State Games – hosted by the City of Danbury! http://www.nutmegstategames.org/"
• "04/27/2008 Pinning Down Autism Second Annual Takedown Tournament and Barbecue.  To show your support or to learn about more wrestling events that benefit autism, visit  http://www.pinningdownautism.com
• We wish to thank CONAIR CORPORATION for its support.  http://www.conair.com
• We wish to thank UNITED SECURITY APPLICATIONS ID, INC. for its support. 

• We wish to thank CARTUS CORPORATION for its support.  https://homepage.cartus.com/

• We now have over $1000 worth of prizes to give away and raffle, including New York Yankees homegame tickets !!

• I wish to thank Jim Bathurst of Beastskills.com for his support. Visit www.beastskills.com for excellent instruction and inspiration on strength training. If you purchase BEAST SKILLS Tshirts sold on the Beastskills.com website THIS WEEK, Jim will DONATE THE PROFITS TO PUSHING PAST AUTISM. Jim is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the NSCA and a personal trainer in Washington, DC. He is also an amazing athlete- check his www.beastskills.com to see photos and videos of him doing unbelievable things.
• BIG THANKS to our local newspaper, the Danbury NewsTimes for its front page story about Pushing Past Autism. The story also appears on the NewTimes online at : http://www.newstimes.com/localnews/ci_9443808
• I now have a few tips for doing pushups and avoiding injury posted at FAQs.

THE EVENT - Register Here

WHAT: A fundraising event for the benefit of children on the autism spectrum.

WHEN: Saturday, June 7, 2008

NOTE:  For those who wish to make a brief appearance only, it is not necessary for you to stay for the entire event.  You may check in and begin pushups as late as you want.  We just ask that you finish by 2 pm.  Late check-in is permitted. 

There is no fee to participate or to be a spectator, though donations are appreciated and can be given the day of the event.  Note, however, that in order to receive an official T-shirt OR to be eligible to compete for the prizes and awards for the most push-ups, you MUST pre-register on-line AND submit a minimum donation of at least $25.    

• 8:00am - 9:30am = check in / on-site registration, free coffee, warm up
• 9:30am - 9:45am = welcome announcement
• 10:00am - 2:00pm = pushups
• 2:00pm - 3:30pm = announcements, sponsors, door prizes/ raffle

WHERE : Pushing Past Autism 2008 will be held at the O’Neill Center of Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT, located on WCSU’s Westside Campus. Link to O’Neil Center:  http://www.wcsu.edu/campustour/westside/oc.asp

Driving Directions:

From I-84, traveling East or West

Take Exit 4 off I-84.  
Turn right onto Lake Avenue.
Drive approximately one mile.
Campus Entrance is on the right.

HOW YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE:

1. Participate
2. Sponsor a participant
3. Make a straight donation (follow this link)
4. Have your business or company be a sponsor
5. Donate prizes for participants
6. Volunteer your time
7. Spread the word

All donations will be shared between the Autism Society of Connecticut (ASCONN) and the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. Both organizations are 501(c)(3) organizations and all donations are tax deductible. Both organizations have been selected as beneficiaries of this fundraising event because they each provide funding and services for children on the autistic spectrum and they promote awareness, education and advocacy on local and national levels.

You can learn more about ASCONN at http://www.autismsocietyofct.org. You can learn more about the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism at http://www.flutiefoundation.org.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE / PUSHUP RULES

The O’Neill Center at Western Connecticut State University is a full-size, collegiate sports and event arena.  There are large parking areas surrounding the Center that are available to all participants and spectators.  The floor will be cleared off and cleaned so that participants will be allotted ample space to perform pushups on the floor of the arena during the event.  Spectators will be provided with seating surrounding the floor. The building has restroom facilities.  Lockers and showers will not be provided. Please arrive in attire appropriate for athletic activity.

Doing the Pushups

Participants will be expected to keep track of the number of pushups they do by themselves and are responsible for reporting that number back to their pledgers and donors.  Participants may do as many or as few pushups as they wish, and in as many sets and repetitions per set as they wish. 

Competing for Pushup Awards (Optional)

For anyone interested in attempting to earn recognition for doing the most pushups or the most pushups in a specific age or gender group, we will award you with at least a certificate of recognition.  We hope to also award additional prizes, depending on sponsor donations.  Until more registrations are received, we are unable to specify the specific categories (by age and/or gender) but there will at least be one award for the most pushups by anyone.

In order to be eligible for an award, you should bring with you and designate at least one person age 16 or over to be an Observer. Observers must register before the start of the event and observers will be randomly assigned to participants other than the person who designated them.  While we will try to have volunteer Observers at the event, if you do not bring one with you we cannot guarantee that you will be allowed to compete. 

In the upcoming weeks, check this web site for announcements regarding age and gender categories for awards.

What counts as a pushup?

Since this is a charitable event and not a world-record contest, participants are expected to impose good form on themselves.
For those Competing for Pushup Awards, Observers assigned to watch will be asked to adhere to the following while counting pushups:

1. Hands should be placed on the floor at approximately one shoulder-width apart with no other body part touching the ground at any time during the pushup except the toes of the shoes or balls of the feet. Pushups may be done only on palms, fingertips or knuckles. No pushup handles or other devices are permitted.
   
2. Feet must be positioned together.
   
3. The body must be held generally straight and rigid during the pushup motion.
   
4. A pushup starts in the up position in which the elbows are straight and moves to the down position in which the elbows must bend at least 90 degrees or until the chest comes within approximately two inches of the floor.  Bouncing off of or resting on the floor before returning to the up position will not count as a pushup.
   
5. Participants may do any number or sets and any number of repetitions per set during the four hours.  For example, participants may do sets of 100 repetitions or sets of 1 repetition. Participants may rest as much or as little as they choose during the four hours.  You may keep a water bottle or beverage container next to you during the pushups, but we ask that you keep the floor otherwise clear of articles. In the event you wish to take a break for any reason, you are free to leave the floor area during the four hour period, and then return to the floor area.

Message from the Founder and Organizer of Pushing Past Autism

Thank you for visiting the web site. I hope you will be able to contribute to this very important cause.  The idea for this event came to me after realizing the enormous amount of work and costs associated with finding, implementing, and paying for an adequate education and therapy program for our son, Benjamin, who was born in 2003 and diagnosed with autism when he was approximately two years old. We wanted to help other families who may have less resources at their disposal, and we knew that the only way this could be done is to enlist the help of many other people, like you. Please join me on June 7, 2008, when I will personally do 2003 pushups in honor of the year my son, Benny, was born.

Thank you,
Lawrence Cruz
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