Latest Updates
2022 5th Annual Eagles Autism Challenge – We DID IT!
My family and I, Team To Olivia & Beyond, want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Thank you for supporting our team and supporting our journey along the way as we fundraised to participate in our 1st Eagles Autism Challenge where every dollar will be used towards autism research and care programs for children with autism. WOW, did our team show up!
In our 1st year of creating this team in November 2021 to event day on May 21, 2022 – To Olivia & Beyond raised $11,765!!!!!! UNBELIEVABLE!
This year, the EAC event overall raised $4.1 million – a difference is being made in our community by turning awareness into action. “And just as importantly, we are helping to create culture change, by driving inclusion, understanding, and acceptance. The people need to know there’s a place for them.” – Jeffrey Lurie, Philadelphia Eagles owner and CEO
That day was more than just an event for our team. It was emotional and overwhelming. It was a milestone. It was filled with hope, light and encouragement. To think back two years ago when Olivia was first diagnosed with autism and what her daily struggles (and ours since we did not have a care program set up for her yet) consisted of then >>> fast forward to now, with one year of her intensive therapy program complete + additional care programs, Olivia is exactly who she is meant to be. Her progress drives our passion. Her new understanding of what is expected of her on a daily basis is our why. Her never ending joy for life is our determination to hit new fundraising goals next year.
Being able to shake hands and personally thank Jeffrey Lurie for what he is doing for the autism community was incredible. To witness the entire team be so supportive and passionate about something that is so close to our family, the Philadelphia Eagles is more than just a football team. I have been an Eagles fan since I was a little kid and always enjoyed going to the games with my Dad. After now participating in our first Eagles Autism Challenge, going to an Eagles game will now have a whole new meaning moving forward.
THANK YOU again for all of your support to our team this year. We could not have done any of this without YOU.
Lauren Talley
To Olivia & Beyond – Team Captain
**Be on the lookout in Fall 2022 during the NBC10 Game Day series – To Olivia & Beyond will be spotlighted in an episode, in addition to Spring 2023 featuring our journey from creating our team, our fundraising efforts, who is Olivia, to event day! It was SO much fun to film with the NBC10 crew!
Added on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 06:12 AM
Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month Fundraiser - Chick-fil-A Spirit Day - OUR COMMUNITY IS AMAZING!
On Tuesday, April 26th, Team To Olivia & Beyond, brought awareness and acceptance of autism to the Concordville Chick-fil-A with a Spirit Day! When customers mentioned our team name during checkout to the cashier, 15% of all designated sales were donated towards our team fundraising efforts for the upcoming Eagles Autism Challenge! No advertising allowed the day of onsite, no signage on the property, nothing – this was strictly a word of mouth fundraising event with the help of social media around the community! And WOW. Did our community show up to support our team that day. It was overwhelming to see how busy it was with so many familiar faces during the after school/dinner hours!
From our St. Thomas the Apostle School community of not only families of students but teachers as well, to our friends, family, Olivia’s therapy team (who are like family) at EBS Institute of West Chester, Olivia’s DCIU therapy team and complete strangers who had seen the event flyers or social media posts in our (many) local community groups – YOU SHOWED UP TO SUPPORT. It was truly amazing the amount of support we received that day. With 81 TRANSACTIONS flagged for our team Spirit Day and being told this was the “largest fundraiser event our location has had for a while”, this is truly touching. To think that just maybe, we made a difference that day, we created conversations of autism in cars while families waited in the drive-thru lines or sat at their tables, we provided the opportunity of the Chick-fil-A staff that day to ask questions about what our team was about and who is Olivia? (each staff member acted like they were meeting a celebrity the few times Olivia was there that day since Olivia’s name was mentioned so often at the registers), we gave the opportunity for questions to be asked and awareness of the many elements the spectrum consists of – all of which will help Olivia and the 1 in 44 people under 21 living in the US who are on the autism spectrum, making it the fastest-growing developmental disorder. With the enormous amount of support we received that day, our team, To Olivia & Beyond, has now soared past our fundraising goal of over $10,000!!! SPEECHLESS.
The Eagles Autism Challenge is dedicated to raising funds for innovative autism research and care programs. To think that our team has now raised over $10,000 to provide to the Eagles Autism Foundation to put towards autism research and care programs – this is incredible.
We created our team, To Olivia & Beyond, in November 2021 including our immediate family and registered for the Eagles Autism Challenge that was six months away. We set our team goal and we were ready to advocate, ready to fundraise for a cause that is very close to our hearts as we have seen the improvement that Olivia’s intensive therapy program has made on her daily functioning, ready to bring awareness and acceptance of autism to anyone who will listen. WE DID IT!
The Eagles Autism Challenge day is only a few short weeks away! We could not be more excited to attend this powerful event knowing what our team has contributed (and we aren’t done fundraising yet)!!
Thank you again for all your support! We ARE making a difference by bringing awareness and acceptance of autism to our community!
Added on Friday, May 6, 2022 at 02:57 AM
Dine & Donate Spirit Day at Chick-fil-A Concordville - Tuesday, April 26!!
On Tuesday, April 26th, to continue to bring awareness to autism during Autism Awareness & Acceptance Month, Team To Olivia & Beyond will be hosting a Dine & Donate Spirit Day at the Concordville/Concord Township Chick-fil-A (all day)!
15% of all sales from that day when Eagles Autism Foundation is verbally told during checking out (before the transaction is completed) will be donated towards our team as we continue our fundraising efforts for the upcoming Eagles Autism Challenge!
**No Mobile App Orders**
**Orders must be Dine in, Take out, Drive Thru or Phone Pick Up orders**
**Catering orders are accepted - who wants to bring your office/co-workers a catering breakfast, lunch or treats tray??** :)
Chick-fil-A Address:
20 State Farm Drive, Glen Mills, PA 19342
Hours: 6:30AM - 9:00PM
On behalf of To Olivia & Beyond - We appreciate your local support!!
Added on Monday, April 18, 2022 at 05:24 PM
2022 Eagles HuddleUp for Autism Event - April 3, 2022
On April 3, 2022, Team To Olivia & Beyond participated in our first Eagles Autism Foundation event at the Lincoln Financial Stadium. It was a sensory-friendly drive thru event that was tastefully thought out in every detail to cater towards children with autism.
It was not only an honor to participate in the event and watch Olivia shine and scream in excitement as she saw the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders, Disney Princesses and Swoop but we were asked to visit the Eagles Sensory Room that was recently added inside the stadium. This is a place where families can visit during events held at the stadium so children with autism can get a sensory recharge and continue to enjoy the event, versus typically having to leave immediately when it gets to a certain point.
Brent and I were interviewed (which we have recently seen in a overview video from the event day, the girls were entertained in the Sensory Room and it was an all around amazing day.
In our team fundraising efforts over the past several months for the upcoming Eagles Autism Challenge, I have found myself being more drawn to this Foundation and wanting to become as involved as possible. Watching how Olivia has benefited over the past year since she started in her ABA Therapy Program, that's the key to everything right there, and exactly what the Eagles Autism Foundation is all about - raising funds to further research and create programs just like Olivia has. We are beyond blessed that Olivia has her program, but to think about how many children are suffering because they are still on a waitlist somewhere, that was Olivia for 9 months, waiting.
Our Team, To Olivia & Beyond, has a few fundraising events quickly approaching that we are extremely excited about to further our team fundraising and meet our team goal!!
April 20th: Olivia's school, St. Thomas the Apostle in Glen Mills, will be holding a Eagles Dress Down Day where all students in the school are encouraged to participate ($1 to participate) and all funds raised will be donated towards our team!
April 26th: Chick - fil - A (Concordville location) - Dine & Donate "Spirit Day" event where 15% of all sales purchased when EAF or our team name is mentioned! (mobile app orders not accepted)
Thank you to ALL for your continued support in our team, our passion, our why - To Olivia & Beyond - SHE is our reason.
Added on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 at 05:05 AM
THANK YOU - it takes a village!
This update is for the 2 kind hearted women at the COVID testing site - THANK YOU.
Just like many of us today in this unfortunate situation of the pandemic, Olivia and I were exposed and needed to be tested. While waiting in line outside, I was prepping her through the steps on what would happen next as our turn approached.
As this was something fairly new for her (thankfully it has been a long time since I have needed to get her tested due to an exposure), Olivia was not keen on what was about to happen. At this specific testing site, you perform the swab yourself, seal it and hand it off to the staff member etc. As I kneel down on the ground to start the process on Olivia, talking her through each step of the way. She flips a switch and goes into a full on episode of "DON'T TOUCH ME" while screaming, crying and thrashing. Little did the 50+ people standing in line know they would have a front row seat to a WWE match.
As I was 3 seconds from giving up and leaving, 2 women approached us and asked if they could help me (no, they were not employees of the site). Somehow with the help of them calmly talking to Olivia, 1 woman stood behind her and held her hair back, while the other prepped the vile, I was able to complete the swab and we were done! With tears pouring down my face, I thanked them over and over again and they both wished us a Happy New Year and walked away.
They have NO idea how much I appreciated (and needed) their help in that moment.
In that moment, all they saw was a mother struggling to calm her child who looked to be having a tantrum who didn't want to have her nose swabbed, while everyone else in line watching were probably thinking, "control your child!" or "suck it up, kid!", all while continuing to stare and make matters worse.
When in fact, here is a child on the spectrum, who can not mentally process new situations or sensory related objects and it sent her into a manic state of mind. No fault of her own.
To the 2 good Samaritans who stepped out of line that day and helped a mother in a moment of weakness and struggle - THANK YOU 1 million times over again.
To Olivia & Beyond - it takes a village!
Added on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 at 10:16 PM
2022 - This is for You, Olivia!
As we enter a new year, I want to thank everyone SO much for all your generosity already with your kind donations to our team, To Olivia & Beyond! We wouldn't be able to participate in such an impactful event in May without your support!
Olivia has now been in extensive in-person weekly therapy (multiple times per week) for 9 months and we have seen first hand, how a quality team and program can truly make an impact. We are SO grateful for her team at EBS Children's Institute and the quality care she is provided. They not only provide her care at the center, they even provided support by coming to her 1st Ballet Recital and staying with her backstage and each step of the way. That day would not have been possible if it was not for her EBS team. This allowed Brent and I to sit front row in our seats, cameras ready to capture every single (emotional) moment as she performed beautifully on stage (she stood exactly where she was supposed to the entire song, did not elope once, tap danced in some way shape or form for the entire song - all with a smile and waving the entire time)! Talk about a proud mama moment!!
A few weeks later, Olivia was selected by her wonderful preschool teachers to play "Mary" in her class Christmas play at school! Another monumental (emotional) proud moment as we watched her sing along, follow signals and directions and have fun!
Don't get me wrong, Olivia still has plenty of her struggle moments on a routine basis, but I think back to who she was and the struggles she faced prior-therapy days and it seems like a completely different child.
With her love for Toy Story and all things Disney, our team name was easy to create. To Olivia & Beyond - We are in this together, forever and always. This is for you, Olivia!!
Added on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 at 09:53 PM
