Leamington fundraising walk yields $22,000
Though the $22,000 raised at the sixth annual Walk/Run for Autism Awareness held at Leamington’s Seacliff Park on Sunday will help fund vital services in the county, the value of the event isn’t measured just in dollars.
It’s also an opportunity for parents who are raising a child with autism to enjoy an outing with people walking the same path in life, in a way that most families take for granted.
“At events like this, though I don’t know 50 per cent of the people’s names, we recognize each other as parents,” said Cathy Crosby, who was running in the event for the second time with her husband Craig and sons Max and Desmond. “We’re there for each other. Watching Max (who has been diagnosed with autism) move around the park, the music, and not having to worry about him while we’re here is great.”
Just how much an autism diagnosis impacts a family is illustrated by the Crosbys’ move back to Windsor from Toronto nine years ago. Crosby has family here who can offer support and the wait times for services here, though lengthy, are still shorter than in much of the province.
“We want to give back for the support we’ve received here,” Crosby said. “We’ve used the different services a lot.” Sunday’s event attracted 250 runners and walkers. That’s nearly triple the number who attended the first outing in 2013.
Ann Diab, who co-founded the run with Paula LaSala-Filangeri, said initially the goal was just to raise awareness of autism. It has since morphed into an important fundraiser to help expand services in Essex County.
“I think parents can often feel very alone,” Diab said. “As a parent of child with autism, meeting new families through the services being added has been the most important impact of what we’re doing. More families are coming forward and not feeling alone.
“We’re creating small wins within our community.” Tera Kimball said educating the public about autism is vital. The social isolation of children with autism can be heartbreaking. “It’s a constant battle for him just to have a friend,” said Kimball, whose nine-year-old son Raydon has autism.
“My son is loving and caring but autism is so wide-ranging it’s hard for adults to understand it, let alone kids.”
Some of the programs created directly out of the event’s fundraising efforts, which after Sunday’s event totals just short of a $100,000 over six years, are a parents’ group, cooking classes and special development programs. “The community has embraced this event,” LaSala-Filangeri said. “It’s become a connection point. “Awareness has been raised and now it’s starting to filter into the schools.”
Much of the progress in expanding county services has been made in partnership with the volunteer, charitable group Autism Ontario Windsor Essex.
But it’s slow progress and the reality is what’s offered falls far short of the amount of services needed, according to Autism Ontario Windsor-Essex volunteer Jillian Fenech. Currently, parents are being told those next in line to receive services registered in August 2016. “Even if (the government) hired a ton of new people, it wouldn’t shorten the wait list that much,” said Fenech, whose daughter Emma has autism.
“We’ve had to look to organizations like Autism Ontario for support. Fundraisers like this are what helps kids get some services in the meantime.” Frustratingly for parents, once they do get their children into government programs, they face the deadline of doing it all over again once they turn 18 and are classified as adults.
Funding comes from a different ministry for adults and families must re-apply for it. It can be years before the appropriate support is put back in place.
The gap that’s been created in service has forced parents to foot significant bills for private support or quit jobs to stay home to tend to their adult child.
“It’s sad when you have to fight to get basic rights,” said Livia Congi, a program manager for Autism Ontario Windsor-Essex.
It’s a constant battle for him just to have a friend. My son is loving and caring, but autism is so wide-ranging, it’s hard for adults to understand it, let alone kids.