Players and fans show out for 8th annual Eagles Autism Challenge: ‘Bringing more attention to it is important.’
Eagles players signed baby bumps and biked alongside fans in support of the Eagles Autism Foundation.
Making her way across the start line, 24-year-old Hailley Donnelly slowly approached Kylie Kelce along the K Lot barricades. After Donnelly, who is 35 weeks pregnant, pointed to her belly to show Jason Kelce’s signature on her T-shirt, Kylie immediately smiled and grabbed the marker before congratulating Donnelly on her first child.
“It meant a lot for her to sign my belly,” Donnelly said. “I have listened to her podcast since becoming a mom. I look up to her because it’s hard when you’re a mom. You always feel like you’re being judged and being criticized by everyone on everything you do. She brings a perspective of ‘Do what you want, it could be right or wrong, but if you feel it in your bones that this is what you want to do to raise your kids, then that’s your business.’”
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Donnelly, of Aston, was joined by her husband, Dave, 25, and her friends Carol Lopez, 26, and Tiffany Toth, 39. As a registered behavior technician focusing on autistic support, Donnelly knew she wanted to be involved in the FreedomPay 5K during the eighth annual Eagles Autism Challenge. Getting her baby bump signed by Jason, Kylie, and Jake Elliott was a bonus.
“I think this will be a really cool experience for my daughter,” Donnelly said. “When she grows up, it’ll be a cool story.”
Hundreds of fans like Donnelly waited at the barricades of K Lot at Lincoln Financial Field Saturday to support those participating in the day’s events — whether it was the 30-mile ride, 10-mile ride, FreedomPay 5K run, or the sensory walk.
Fans also waited to catch a glimpse of some of the Eagles, past and present, participating in the action. Brandon Graham, Jason Kelce, and Reed Blankenship were just a few of the bikers geared up in Eagles helmets and biker shirts who would make the 10-mile journey around the city of Philadelphia. Afterward, an on-field celebration included autographs, bounce houses, playgrounds, a live band, and food trucks.
Many of the families who attended were involved in previous Eagles Autism Challenges, including Maggie Wintrode, 42, and her 7-year-old son Quincy Brown.
“My sister did the 10K last year for the first time,” said Wintrode, from York. “She had a great time, so now we all signed up. We started a team called ‘Q’s Crew,’ and we just wanted to raise money for the Eagles Autism Foundation. It’s just a really great organization and they do a lot for kids that are on the spectrum.”
They participated in the sensory walk and were joined by the rest of Q’s Crew — which included Wintrode’s daughter Alexi, and Wintrode’s sister Keri and her husband Shane Melhorne. Before Saturday’s walk, they also attended Friday’s kickoff party in the Hyundai Club inside the Linc.
“I think it’s just really about networking and seeing other people that live the same lifestyle as you,” Wintrode said. “When you have a special-needs child — special-needs families, we need to operate differently.
“And I think it’s nice to be able to meet other families that can totally understand exactly where you’re coming from, and understand all the hardships or trials and challenges that you go through with having a child on the spectrum. It’s never black-and-white with a kid on the spectrum.”
Friday’s kickoff party featured an appearance by Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, mascot Swoop, and the team’s cheerleaders. It also included free caricature drawings, photo opportunities, and a kids’ buffet with a view of the field. The sensory room stayed open for kids who wanted a break from the live band.
Five-year-old Savannah Laycock sat inside the sensory room in her Eagles cheerleader uniform with her green headphones on as she flung a colorful stretchy rubber ball across the room with her mom Jessica, 34, and grandmother Kim Jeanguenin, 59, watching over her.
“We’ve been hearing about this for years,” Laycock said. “But we lived in Florida up until 2020. So, last year was our first time at the event, and she had so much fun we decided to come back. I’ve always loved the Eagles, and finding out that this was their philanthropy really meant a lot.”
Sitting across from Laycock and her mother in the sensory room was another family excited for the event: Doug, 36, and Ashley Sim, 39. After finding out about the event last year on Facebook, they decided to return for the sensory walk with their 7-year-old son Brennan.
“This doesn’t just raise awareness,” Ashley said. “It’s making more people accepting of autism. For us, being out in public sometimes, if people were looking at him, you just want to yell out that he has autism. If people were more understanding, then I think they wouldn’t be so judgmental because there’s no visual signs. If you look at him from afar, he looks like a normal 7-year-old boy.
“So, I think just bringing more attention to it is important. It’s important for the other kids in school to be exposed to people that are different.”