Eagles Autism Challenge

Everyone has a reason for choosing their NFL team and here is mine….

Saturday, May 17th, I attended my very first Eagles Autism Challenge - a Bike ride, Fun Run and Sensory Walk event hosted by the Eagles Autism Foundation (“EAF”). I did not take my 13 year old son, Halen, (diagnosed with severe non-verbal autism) because I wanted to experience the event first myself just to make sure my son would be comfortable in the experience.

Well… I did not have to worry about feeling comfortable!! From the moment I arrived at Lincoln Financial Field for the pre-party on the Friday evening until the moment I left the challenge on Saturday afternoon there was an abundance of inclusion for our autism participants, their families and beyond every which way you looked.

When you have a family member with a disability, especially with more challenging needs like my son, it is very hard to feel comfortable and included in any public place especially a big pubic event but each moment I have stepped into the LINC (Lincoln Financial Field, home to the Philadelphia Eagles) whether for a game, at the draft party with my son or last weekend for the Eagles Autism Challenge party and event, I did not only feel just comfortable but completely at peace because I saw and I could feel the acceptance AND.... INCLUSION!!!

I am finding it very hard to put into words what I experienced at the Eagles Autism Challenge weekend events but I will try…

On Friday night at the pre-challenge party event I spoke with the sponsors and enjoyed the band. One of the sponsors and concession stands I had the absolute pleasure of meeting was Popcorn for the People. Well, I’d heard about them some time ago from my son’s Occupational Therapist who had stumbled across their product and had called me excitedly to tell me just how good the popcorn was and how this company employed neurodivergent adults to work in their facility. I took a sample of their popcorn at the event… I was not disappointed and I am a now customer for life!!

The Eagles Autism Challenge came on the Saturday morning and I met a lot of wonderful people. Crossing the starting line for the 5k run I felt so much emotion… I was here, I was doing this for my son and families like my own, I was supporting this wonderful charity that was near and dear to my heart and I was making new friends along the way! After the run, there was an amazing buffet of food and drinks, bounce houses, therapy dogs, massage tents, players, cheerleaders, merch from all the wonderful sponsors, a band and, most of all, the absolutely wonderful Eagles Autism Foundation staff to help with any issues.

In the short amount of time I experienced the Eagles Autism Challenge, I felt at home. I am bringing my entire family next year and my heart is so thankful to Mr. Jeffrey Lurie (the CEO and owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Eagles Autism Foundation) and his vision for inclusion, Ryan Hammond (the EAF Executive Director), Kirsten Saraceni (EAF Director of Scientific Programs and Inclusion) and the rest of the EAF team—you guys rock!! And to the whole of the Eagles, their families and the Eagles' alumni… some of the Eagles’ players and their families had no idea about autism yet supported and learnt about our community along the way—thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Whether you're an Eagle’s supporter or not, props to the Eagles Autism Foundation who have so far raised more than 10 million dollars from this event alone (More than 40 million in total since 2019) with proceeds going to innovative research and programs for autistic individuals.

The Eagles Autism Challenge and the Eagles Autism Foundation as a whole have succeeded in making all families feel welcomed and included and, as the owner and CEO of the Eagles Autism Foundation and Philadelphia Eagles, Mr. Jeffrey Lurie, eloquently said in his speech on the day of the Challenge - “Together we are building a future where inclusion is the expectation not the exception!” ❤️ 👏🫡 🙏🏻

There is still time to donate to the Eagles Autism Challenge - 100% is tax deductible and every cent supports autism research and care programs for our neurodivergent autism community.