HISTORIC NATIONWIDE WALK FOR AUTISM TO PASS THROUGH MISSOURI

Jefferson City, MO – Mid-Missouri will be the next stop for two Massachusetts men taking a journey across America to raise money and awareness for children with autism. Bobby Genese and Robert Williams are expected to be in the Kansas City area this week, making their way to Jefferson City by next week.

Their walk began after the death of seven-year-old Elias Tembenis of Worcester, Massachusetts. Diagnosed with autism and epilepsy, Tembenis passed away two days before Thanksgiving from complications following a seizure. Friends of the Tembenis family, Williams and Genese approached the boy’s parents with an offer to walk across America in memory of Elias. Aptly named ‘The Elias Tembenis Walk for Autism,’ the journey began on San Francisco’s Route 50 in May and will end on the American Trail in Washington DC.

During the walkers’ travels through mid-Missouri, they plan to visit The Special Learning Center, a local school serving kids with disabilities. Area families impacted by autism will be providing lodging and meals for the walkers, and have invited local legislators to greet them.

Williams and Genese usually cover 20-25 miles a day, depending on weather and other travel factors. So far, they have been greeted by Nevada's First Lady, interviewed on multiple radio talk shows, and are scheduled to appear in a national news special segment.

Proceeds of the walk will benefit The National Autism Association, a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to families affected by autism. For more information, visit www.nationalautism.org. A portion of the proceeds will also benefit autism initiatives in Elias’s hometown.

Supporting organizations include Kansas City Autism Alliance, Missouri Autism Coalition, and The National Autism Association.

Sponsors include Hansen’s all-natural beverages, Ian’s Natural Foods, Waiora and Autism One Radio. To make a contribution to the Elias Tembenis Walk for Autism or to offer food and lodging, call 877.NAA.AUTISM.