Dear Family and Friends, Over the past two and a half years, we have been blessed with the joy of watching our son, Luke, grow into the loving, inquisitive, humorous boy that brightens our every day. Since the moment he was born, he has had a smile on his face and has demonstrated an extreme curiosity about the world. We continue to marvel at the individual he is becoming and cannot express the gratitude we feel as parents for having had the opportunity to start him down his path in life. Luke’s journey, albeit an ongoing success, has not been without its challenges. As some of you know, Luke was recently diagnosed with High Functioning Autism. He has always had a beautiful uniqueness about him, something that was recognizable at a very young age. For us, his personality and abilities have been at times awe-inspiring, and at times disquieting. For Luke, his individuality has allowed him to experience the world in a wonderful and fulfilling way, but it has also caused unwelcome and intense frustration. We have shared in the highs and lows of his development, basking in the many positive moments and anguishing through some of the more trying times. We have made it our objective to ensure that, though our family has been collectively affected by autism, Luke will not be defined by it. Certainly, those effects have been seismic, as they are for any parent or caregiver. In part because of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the variability of the condition, there is a perpetual struggle to understand and adapt to needs that the child is not able to express. Thankfully, Luke has been the recipient of terrific services for the better part of the past year and has excelled in learning how to cope with some of the difficulties he is likely to confront (and overcome). In short, the resources we have had access to have been and will continue to be instrumental in the progress Luke has made. Unfortunately, despite the prevalence of autism, it remains under-researched and misunderstood. Because we have experienced firsthand the importance of the good work being done to further understand the condition and educate those affected by it, we wanted to do whatever small part we could to assist that process by fundraising through the Eagles Autism Challenge. 100% of donations will go to some extraordinary programs in the Philadelphia area, including CHOP’s Center for Autism Research, the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, and Jefferson’s Autism and Sensory Integration Lab. Any contribution, however small, represents a step towards a better and more rewarding life for those with autism. Whether or not you can make a contribution and join the walk with us on May 19th, we thank you for taking a few minutes to allow us to share our story with you and we hope that, at the very least, it has raised awareness about a very worthy cause. With great appreciation, Michelle, Mark, Luke and Brooke Paladino