Team Reeve® Runs for Autism

Executives and friends of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to participate in the 2011 Triathlon/Duathlon for Autism in Belmar

(SHORT HILLS, NJ) – July 12, 2011 - On July 31st, executives and friends of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation will participate in the 2011 Triathlon/Duathlon for Autism in Belmar, New Jersey, proving once again Christopher Reeve's edict that "nothing is impossible."

Alan T. Brown was spinal cord injured 23 years ago while in the ocean on vacation. He went on to create his own business, become a father and a great philanthropist, while living with quadriplegia. Alan returns to the ocean and will be swimming a quarter mile, the first "leg" of the triathlon.

The biking "leg" of the race will be done by Alan's life long friend, Jamie Lassner. Twenty years ago, just a few years after Alan's injury, Jamie, a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) biked with Alan for the entire course of the New York City Marathon -- learning first hand and monitoring all the requisite challenges that a spinal cord injury puts on the body -- including temperature control, dehydration and blood pressure spikes. With the ten year anniversary of 9/11 around the corner, the race also has significance to Jamie as he was a first responder to the tragedy and injured his leg at Ground Zero.

Jamie's oldest son, Sam, completes the team. Sam, 18, has only known Alan since his injury and he became his personal superman to his own hockey career (including serving as a ice hockey coach for an Autistic child) and has made spreading awareness about the Reeve Foundation's dual message of 'Today's Care and Tomorrow's Cure' and the need for greater understanding of challenges faced by people living with disabilities.

Also competing in the July 31 event for Alan's 'Never Say Never' Team are Jamie's younger son Adam, 14, Jamie's wife Mara who went to summer camp with Alan, and Susie Rubin Schein (a classmate of Alan's) and her daughter Emily, 18.

Competing for Team Reeve® in the Dualathon is Executive Board Member John McConnell and President & CEO, Peter Wilderotter. A long time executive in the media business, McConnell suffered a fractured neck in a bike riding accident six years ago. His injury was in the same area that Christopher Reeve's was and he reached out to Wilderotter and with help from the resource center of the Foundation, he made a full recovery. A year after his injury, John ran the NYC Marathon and was recognized by NY Road Runner's club for his heroic efforts -- for this race he will return to the bike and Wilderotter will do the running.

Peter Wilderotter said, "Team Reeve®'s participation in this event advances many tenants of the Foundation's mission -- working to support and collaborate similar agendas to advance mutual goals, families pulling together as the Lassners and Scheins demonstrate, giving back when you've had good fortune, as John has committed to do each day for the rest of his life and the importance of friendship and living a quality life as Alan demonstrates. Taken together, Team Reeve® will demonstrate what Dana Reeve created that is, 'you are not alone'."

For more information on Team Reeve® or to schedule an interview with any of the participants listed above, please contact the Reeve Foundation at 973-379-2690 ext. 7111 or visit ChristopherReeve.org/TeamReeve.