I had hesistation about running again this year because of the incredible generosity of family, friends and collegues - the support and donations for last years' marathon were extremely humbling. But ultimately, this cause and this foundation are too important. I am going to go at this one more time and work even harder at raising awareness, representing the foundation, raising money and training.
I am honored to be running in 127th Boston Marathon for the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. I still don't enjoy running (keep reading!) but for this foundation, for this cause, I am putting everything I have into raising money and awareness.
The foundation been helping individuals and families with autism since 1998. The foundations’ mission is: Helping People Affected by Autism Live Life to the Fullest. My wife, Danielle ran for the foundations’ marathon team in 2019, I ran for the foundation in 2022 and we have had the privilege of getting to know and develop friendships with many people involved in this amazing foundation.
This cause is also deeply personal for me. My son, William, was diagnosed with autism at 2.5 years of age. It was an overwhelming experience as we navigated what the diagnosis meant and how best to support him. We are very grateful to have had access to services and programs that have helped him tremendously. Along the way we have met incredible providers, many of whom we keep in contact with today. This is why foundations like the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation are so important so that more individuals and families can access services and programs to help them succeed. I am so proud of William, who is now 10 years old. He is still the same animal loving, smart and caring boy he has always been but has worked so hard on so many skills. By running 26.2 miles again, I want to continue to show him something tangible that I say to him often: if you work hard, you can do hard things.