Raising awareness for autism brings thousands together for annual Autism Speaks Walk
Isaiah Mata, 14, second from right, held by his mother Melissa Mata, of Rancho Cucamonga, and his team participated along with hundreds of others in the 2016 Autism Speaks Walk Los Angeles at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, April 2, 2016.
An estimated 55,000 people made their way to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday for the 2016 Autism Speaks Walk, one of the biggest such events in the country, according to organizers.
April is Autism Awareness Month, and this year’s local event fell on World Autism Awareness Day.
The walk had a special significance for Glendale resident Phillip Hain and his family. Hain’s son, Andrew, has autism and the Hains started the first such walk at Dodger Stadium in 2003.
Phillip Hain went from being a volunteer with Autism Speaks to becoming a staff member, serving as executive director of the Southern California chapter before his current position leading national outreach efforts.
Going from an attendance of about 1,400 people the first year to the tens of thousands of participants at this year’s event has been “rewarding and fulfilling,” Phillip Hain said.
“It’s just amazing to see the growth in the event and the families (attending) that really need the information and the services and the resources for their kids,” he said.
“The more money we raise, the more likely we’ll be to get the word out about autism awareness,” said Andrew Hain, a graduate of Clark Magnet High School who is currently in what he hopes to be his last semester studying broadcasting at Glendale Community College, with aspirations of becoming a game show host.
Phillip Hain said the rate of autism when Andrew was diagnosed was about one in 500, while today one in 68 children will be diagnosed.
“When kids are still being diagnosed, we know the need is still out there for more information, for more resources and for research,” Phillip Hain said. “As our kids become adults, they need housing, they need jobs and they need community support. So the need never stops.”
While it may seem that the general public is aware of autism, Phillip Hain said there is still a need to build empathy and understanding about the complex disorder.
“When you have kids who are being teased or bullied or mocked, it’s obvious that there are a lot of people out in the community that don’t understand or accept or really get the fact that our kids need empathy, they need support and they need services and they’re not there to be made fun of,” he said.
On Saturday, walkers took their mark at 9 a.m., many sporting matching team shirts in support of a person diagnosed with autism or on its spectrum. They made their way around the Rose Bowl stadium for either the 1 1/2 -mile walk or a 5K.
Los Angeles residents Aida and Norm Williams finished their initial lap with their goddaughter, Jordan, while their 4-month-old daughter Zuriya rode comfortably in a stroller.
“We’re debating another [lap],” Norm Williams said. “I don’t know how our hamstrings are going to hold up.”
On their shirts were the words “Team Yamelin,” in honor of the daughter of a family friend who they were walking for.
“It seems like there’s more people here than there were last year so we look forward to it every year,” Norm Williams said.
For Angela Geiger, president and chief executive of Autism Speaks, this year’s walk was “a moment of joy” for the autism community.
“The thing that makes me most proud of this walk is hearing families talk about what a safe place it is and how they can find other families like them and learn from each other and celebrate with each other,” she said.
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The goal of the Los Angeles-area walk is to raise $1.95 million for the year. Four months in, about $1.3 million has been raised.
Jon Merager, a La Cañada Flintridge resident and a firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service, said the walk is important to families dealing with autism, many of whom can feel “isolated” with their day-to-day routines and personal struggles.
“This specific event brings so many like-minded families and individuals together,” he said. “It’s a motivating and encouraging vibe to finally be around so many people going through the same thing.”
During the event, Merager was managing more than 80 fellow U.S. Forest Service members from Angeles National Forest, including “Smokey Bear,” who also took part in the walk.
Merager’s wife, Starlyn, and 7-year-old son, Severin, found him after some time on the track.
“I almost ran out of energy, but I didn’t.” said Severin, who has been diagnosed on the autism spectrum.
Starlyn Merager said her son was a little tired at first, but quickly got into the spirit of the event.
“He took off like a lightning bolt, and we had to keep up with him,” she said with a smile.
The Meragers said Severin is high-functioning, but has some sensory-processing issues.
Starlyn Merager said it can get tiresome constantly explaining some of her son’s behaviors to his classmates at Paradise Canyon Elementary School and their parents. She’s hoping next year she’ll be able to let the whole class know what Severin is dealing with to make it a better year for everyone.
After initially being worried if Severin could handle the crowds, she said the walk was a good experience for the family and for families like theirs.
“We’ll keep coming,” she said.
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Ryan Fonseca, ryan.fonseca@latimes.com
Twitter: @RyFons
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