Team Blue Monkey

Team Blue Monkey Rides Again!

Go The Distance for Autism Bike Ride for the 

EPIC Foundation – Epic Inclusive Communities (IC)

Adult Program

Rob, Kim, and Matthew Craig

Our son Matthew was diagnosed with Autism before his 3^rd birthday.   The questions that any new parent would ask like  -   should he play little league or pop warner football, should he join the cub scouts or 4-h, should he go to Skidmore College or Fairfield University suddenly changed to what kind of future can he have?  The questions changed to speech therapy or occupational therapy, sensory light therapy or kelation therapy, public or private residential housing.  What kind of future could Matthew have – he was non-verbal, easily frustrated and quick to tantrum, and he did not possess basic self help skills like feeding, dressing, bathing, and caring for himself.  

Our son Matthew will turn 25 years old this April.  Matthew was ineligible to receive services from our school system after his 21^st birthday.   Matthew was no longer able to attend the school he loved and where he thrived.  He was left to rely on his family to sustain his life and his happiness.  

My family was not prepared to face the challenges of locating an appropriate adult program for Matthew that would support his continued growth and happiness.  We quickly discovered that locating an adult program would prove to be much harder than finding a school program.  My family has searched tirelessly for an appropriate adult program for the past 3 years.  Over this time, Matthew has grown depressed and has lost most of his language that he worked so hard to acquire.  

Our family was blessed with the gift of hope when Matthew was accepted into EPIC-Inclusive Communities (IC) Adult Program; a new program that strives to provide a meaningful quality of life to adults age 21 and over with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). EPIC-IC seeks to provide comprehensive day programming services designed to promote skills necessary for adulthood with an emphasis on self-sufficiency, community integration, volunteer and employment opportunities. 

The greatest challenge of schools like EPIC-IC is the cost. Each person’s tuition is underfunded.  It is financially necessary for the program to raise funds to cover the negative delta.   We ask you for your help to build a brighter future for Matthew and millions of children and adults like him with autism.  It’s time to Go the Distance for Autism.

My family and I are committed to building a brighter future for children and adults with autism! By joining us, you will help change the future for those that struggle with autism, spread much needed awareness, and directly impact the lives of children and their families living with autism every day. Please help us reach our fundraising goal. To make a secure on-line donation, just click on the Donate Now button. If you would prefer to send a check, print the offline donation form from the link below and mail in your donation.

If you've been inspired to Go the Distance for Autism, here are other ways you can participate! 

• Join my Team and hit the road with us!  Trust me – it is a blast!!!!
• Start a Team with your family, friends or organization.
• Get your business involved by becoming an event sponsor or starting a corporate team.
• Volunteer your time for the day of the event by going to the home page and clicking on the Volunteer button.

At the end of the day what matters the most is hope. Hope for a brighter future.  Go the Distance for Autism is an event filled with more hope than I could ever imagine.   This event is where family, friends and neighbors come together to help each other. People peddling for the same goals and pushing themselves for people they love. We need your help in bettering the lives of our loved ones who struggle with the battles of autism everyday. 

Our team is called “Team Blue Monkey”.  Matthew has a stuffed blue monkey that may be his favorite thing in the world.  

We believe that your donation makes a difference.

We believe that your support facilitates a better life for Matthew and other children and adults like him.

We believe that as a community we can make a difference.

We believe in the Blue Monkey.

Do you??