Surviving a Pandemic with Autism

You guys.

It’s that time of year again, when I get to brag about my favorite family in Firestone!

This family here. This stone-cold pack of weirdos whom I just love to love.

That’s right, it’s Carbon Valley time.

Last year’s Carbon Valley Half Marathon may have been canceled, but this year we’re taking it by storm.

Listen.

I try not to blatantly ask for donations, but guys, since 2013, we have helped raise $122,000 for Autism research. Not only did we miss out on running last year, we missed out on fundraising.

Let’s Hulk-smash fundraising this year in Hunter’s name. You can click here or on the button below or read on (there’s a donation link at the end too).

Anyway, on with the bragging!

By now the COVID situation for families is old hat: working moms and dads are trying to work from home, teach their kids, occupy their kids, and take care of themselves, all while trying not to kill each other.

And in this case, Monica and Will, our favorite heroes, worried most about Hunter falling behind, not just in school, but in all the work he’s done on a social level.

As a society, we showed a lot of compassion for families with school-aged children during the COVID lockdown.

Though, I didn’t see much about families with school-aged children with special needs.

Hunter has a ton of energy and Monica and Will had to figure out manage that energy while also supporting Logan’s needs. And their own.

Leave it to Will and Monica, two of the most clever parents I know, to come up with such great ideas to keep everyone moving forward.

When they absolutely needed to get out of the house, but nothing was open, they would drive to Denver and drive around Mile High Stadium and Coors Field.

They’d bring Clover Dog, of course, but one time, they brought the Peyton Manning, the cat.

Obviously Peyton Manning needed to visit Mile High Stadium!

Will and Logan found their way onto TikTok and made anything from animal videos to videos of cooking Chick-fil-A nuggets.

They invested in a cat stroller and allocated time to a daily recess to walk the dog and cat around the neighborhood.

They came up with the plan to use YouTube to send Hunter on virtual field trips to special places. So Hunter got to go to Disneyland.

They learned how to make hand sanitizer.

They cooked. A lot.

Will learned 7th grade science alongside Hunter so he could help Hunter with school.

Because they missed going to movies, they had a movie theater night.

And because they missed going to restaurants, they had a restaurant night.

When things started to open back up, they braved the mask mandate, put on real clothes, and explored the Denver Cat Company.

Will disappointed us all when he didn’t allow the boys to adopt any new kittens.

Boo Will.

Then we braved our first COVID dining experience. I learned how to do QR codes and Hunter kissed his guns.

Great shirt, bud!

Last, but certainly not least, the Vickers family treated themselves to some very needed play time and pampering at the Gaylord.

Like so many other families have during COVID, they had their struggles.

And like so many other families during COVID, they crushed those struggles by finding fantastic ways to teach, entertain, and grow together.

Here’s where I rave about the Carbon Valley Half Marathon, 5K, and Fun Run, a race I hold so dear.

COVID may have taken away our chance to run together and celebrate families with Autism in 2020, so as we draw nearer to the 9th Annual Carbon Valley Half Marathon on May 8th, I want to take the chance to scream from the rooftops in celebration of the families who’ve found their way through incredibly trying times while caring for Autistic kids.

This race day will be even more powerful for us than ever before because of all that pent up energy we have from skipping last year!

And also this.

Drumroll please…

This year, Logan has decided to run the half marathon distance. This will be his first year running it and his first half marathon. (He’s a little bigger nowadays.)

I cannot wait.

And I’m excited to get to run with Hunter this year.

Hunter and I are running the 5k, which gets us to the finish line in time to watch Logan finish (hopefully…Logan’s fast).

And then, we’ll eat.

If you want to support the Vickers Family and Carbon Valley Half Marathon’s mission to raise funds for Autism research, please do!

There are a number of ways you can support. Please pick any or all of the following.

1. Share this post on social media.
2. Donate to Hunter’s fundraising page (all donations go to Children’s Hospital Colorado and research through the Autism Treatment Network). Click here to donate.
3. Join us on Saturday, May 8th for the Fun Run (1 mile), 5k, half marathon relay, or half marathon–so there’s a distance for everyone. Walk, run, or crawl…no excuses! Click here to register.
4. Don’t like running or walking or crawling? Fair enough. Come volunteer! Click here to sign up.
5. Come cheer for Logan and the other brave souls on the half marathon course! The course is easily accessible for spectators. Here’s a map and the race starts at 8:00a.
6. Make signs for the runners to be distributed along the CV race course. In past years, Hunter LOVED his signs and took a picture next to each one. Let’s make even more for this year! Email me (rachel.kay.link@gmail.com) if you’re interested in making a sign and I’ll get the signs posted throughout the course beforehand.

I’ll leave you with some of my favorite pictures from past years.