By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Amid the overflowing crowd on Sea Isle City’s oceanfront Promenade on Saturday afternoon were six women who stood out in their bright turquoise T-shirts.
Although their attire may have seemed a bit whimsical, the women were in town for a serious cause – to help raise awareness and money in the fight against autism, a developmental disability affecting more than 5 million Americans.
Calling themselves the “Be a Kind Sole” team, they were among an estimated 4,000 participants and spectators who showed up for the 15th annual Mike’s Seafood Run-Walk for Autism organized by Sea Isle residents and restaurant owners Mike Monichetti and his wife, Jeannie.
“We have a long way to go, but events like this one keep us on track,” Dawn Yacono, matriarch of the Be a Kind Sole team, said of the hope of finding a cure for autism one day.
Yacono was joined by her daughter, Tiffany Eckert, granddaughter Gianna Guido, two daughters-in-law, Kara Mathis and Cambria Yacono, and family friend Olivia Johnson.
Two of Dawn Yacono’s grandchildren, ages 5 and 19, are on the autism spectrum. Yacono and the rest of her group were thinking of the autistic grandchildren when they made the 90-minute drive from their home in Browns Mills, N.J., to Sea Isle for the fundraiser.
“We are here to support autism,” Dawn Yacono said. “I think it’s important to raise money and awareness. I think we have made progress in the last decade.”
Although the ultimate goal is to find a cure for autism, Yacono said at this point she simply wants to see people with autism treated like everyone else in school, in the workplace and “in life in general.”
After going virtual during the last two years due to the pandemic, the Mike’s Seafood Run-Walk for Autism returned as a live event on Saturday. It was expected to raise more than $100,000 for autism support groups, special services schools and families of special needs children.
“After being away for two years, it’s nice to see that no one has lost their enthusiasm for such a great cause,” Mike Monichetti said of the big crowd.
Monichetti and his wife, Jeannie, have four children, including two who have autism, Kara, 22, and Michael Jr., 20. Having autistic children and knowing the challenges that parents with autistic children face on a daily basis served as their inspiration for starting the fundraiser.
Over its 15-year history, the run-walk has raised more than $1 million for autism-related causes. Monichetti has established a broad network of supporters over the years, including private donors, city officials, the business community, corporations, schools, churches, civic organizations, autism groups and many others. Each year, he is touched by their generosity.
The event has also benefited over the years from the backing of Sea Isle Mayor Leonard Desiderio and the municipal government, Monichetti pointed out.
“I don’t think we could ever be as successful and accomplish what we have without the support of the city,” said Monichetti, owner of Mike’s Seafood & Dock Restaurant in Sea Isle’s historic Fish Alley neighborhood.
The event was divided into a 5-kilometer run and a one-mile fun walk along the Promenade. It served as the centerpiece of Sea Isle’s Presidents Day celebration, a time when thousands of visitors traditionally head to the shore for a winter getaway weekend of partying, dining and shopping.
Following the run and walk, an awards ceremony and after-party were held in large, heated tents in Excursion Park next to the Promenade at John F. Kennedy Boulevard. The after-party featured food and family-friendly entertainment.
Altogether, there were about 2,600 paying participants in the run-walk and an estimated 1,300 spectators, Monichetti said.
People of all ages took part, including young families pushing baby strollers and dog lovers walking their pooches. Most of the walkers were bundled up in coats, gloves, hats and scarves when the event began at noon under sunny skies and temperatures in the 30s.
One group that drew attention was the Tri-State K-9 Response Team, a nonprofit organization that uses certified crisis counselors and “comfort dogs” while helping children, families, first responders and others affected by community tragedies such as mass shootings and school suicide.
Some of the specially trained dogs from the Tri-State K-9 Response Team joined their handlers while casually strolling down the Promenade with the other walkers in the autism fundraiser.
Janice Campbell, president and founder of the Tri-State K-9 Response Team, said the dogs are a key part of the support therapy her organization provides for autistic children and other students during visits to more than 40 schools in the region.
“They reach a lot of kids when the people can’t,” Campbell said of the calming effect the dogs have on autistic children.
