The first time Lainie Kyriakos tried to corral her friends and family members for an autism benefit walk, 10 showed up. On Sunday, the second time, there were 30.
“Next year,” she says, “it’ll probably be a 100.”
Team Christo — led by Lainie and named in honor of her son, who turns 3 next month and who has had an autism diagnosis for 18 months — were just specks in a crowd of 4,000 who turned out for the annual Walk Now for Autism, which raised a record $325,000 for the group Autism Speaks.
For Autism Speaks, a group concerned with autism awareness, the past few years have been bittersweet. Awareness is up, of course, but so too are the numbers of children diagnosed. As the autism community grows, so too do the challenges of raising money for research, passing legislation to protect families, and helping create a culture more sensitive to the challenges autistic children and their families face.
On Sunday, that community walked. They crowded around Angels Stadium, then marched into the stadium and around the playing field. They celebrated their children and cheered for each other.
“It’s important to bring out the community for one day when the kids can be together and not be looked down upon,” said Lauren Vitto, who co-chaired the event and whose younger brother, Zach, has autism.
Parents at the event say their children aren’t always welcomed so generously by strangers. Read the rest of this entry »
