480 in the collection
Student’s daydream starts wheels turning
By Cathleen F. Crowley
SCHENECTADY -- Union College senior Dan Tatar’s idea for one last summer fling grew beyond his imagination.
Tatar told two friends he wanted to in-line skate from Florida to Maine to raise money for autism, a disorder that he has witnessed through his big brother, Ben. Three of his buddies said they’d go with him and mentioned it to some of their friends. Soon, Tatar fielded calls and e-mails from college students in Vermont, Canada and New York City asking what they could do to help.
More than 100 college students have donated their time toward Tatar’s endeavor, and about 40 people have agreed to skate a leg of the 2,000 mile trip with him. Tatar hopes to raise $500,000.
“I can’t tell you how quickly this has grown,” Tatar said.
His volunteer crew of students has taken on fundraising and public relations duties resulting in $45,000 in donations so far, a scheduled appearance on “Good Morning America” and sponsorship from K2 Skate, which donated their inline skates, AAA, which plotted their route, and Choice Hotels International, which will lodge the skaters during their trip.
Tatar, 23, a psychology major from Queensbury, came up with the idea for the trip in August while he was daydreaming at his internship at PriceWaterhouse Coopers in Boston.
“I kind of wanted one more kick before I settled into an office job,” said Tatar, who will return to the investment firm full time when the trip ends.
He also wanted to do something positive, so he turned to his 25-year-old brother Ben for inspiration.
Ben’s teachers said he’d never graduate from high school. Ben is on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum, a collection of disorders that impair people’s ability to communicate and interact socially.
Ben not only finished high school, he recently graduated from Adirondack Community College. He is an accomplished bodybuilder and has written articles for weightlifting magazines.
He has overcome his autism to the point where he is known as “Mr. Personality” at Union, where he often hangs out with his younger brother.
“He’s my best friend,” Tatar said.
Tatar’s goal is to educate college and high school students -- the teachers, doctors and politicians of the future -- about autism. The money raised by Rolling for Autism, a registered nonprofit, will be split between grants for educational programs and fun activities for people with autism.
Tatar’s trip gathered steam. Students at the University of Vermont held a scavenger hunt to raise money; New York University put on “NYU Idol,” a version of “American Idol”; McGill University in Canada hosted a barbecue; and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute held a benefit at a Mexican restaurant. Union students put on “Mr. Union,” a talent show that raised money for Rolling for Autism, and a sorority sold tie-dyed shirts.
“I think all college students want to get involved in a project like this, they just need a push,” Tatar said.
Tatar and three of his closest friends plan to skate the 2,000-mile route in 54 days, starting June 28.
They will skate 40 miles a day. Already, their training schedule has them doing 20 to 30 miles a day, six days a week, on the rural roads around Clifton Park. Blisters cover their feet, and Tatar has dropped 8 pounds from his already-trim frame.
“We’ll be skin and bones by the end of the trip,” he said.
Joining him on the full route are three seniors who will graduate June 17: Carson Strang, 24, of Shaker Heights, Ohio, the comedian of the group; Jason Ortolano, 24, of Carteret, N.J., who hopes to be a doctor; and Sean Streich, 24, of British Colombia, Canada, who plans to become a teacher.
Tatar, Ortolano and Streich have played on Union’s hockey team, and Strang skated for the U.S. Air Force Academy before transferring to Union and joining the school’s baseball team.
They have scheduled stops at major cities along the route to visit schools, camps for the autistic and media interviews, but they’ve already made an impact.
One of Tatar’s volunteers from Union just found her first job in the real world. Senior Lauren Brickman was hired by Mount Sinai Medical Center to research autism.
How to help
Donations can be made through the Web site http://www.RollingForAutism.com or by mailing a check to Rolling for Autism, P.O. Box 4748, Queensbury, NY 12804. Checks should be made payable to Rolling for Autism.
— Cathleen F. Crowley
The Times Union
2007-05-29
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