Rewired For Autism Swings a Huge Impact—Part 1

By Kami-Leigh Agard

In 2008, a group of business leaders within NYS’ real estate, construction and design communities banded together to host a golf outing to raise funds for autism. What began as a small, yet ambitious network grew into Rewired for Autism, who, since its inception, has cumulatively funded just under $2M to various organizations, both large and small, including Nassau/Suffolk Autism Society, Somerset Hills Learning Institute, Be The Best Sport, BluePath Service Dogs, and even Rockaway Beach Autism Families. However, like golf, the most important shot is the next one, and Rewired has stayed par to the course expanding its reach to support family-run businesses employing autistic individuals and even awarding higher education scholarships to siblings of individuals on the spectrum, aiming to work with special needs individuals. The interview I held with these folks was so chock-full of information, I had to make this a two-part series, and folks, I promise—you’ll start swinging a golf club for not just autism awareness, but education.

I first learned about Rewired last year through local resident Mary Glynn. When I shared that I was trying to figure out the finances with shipping a colossal box of Christmas gifts to the autism community devastated by the wildfires in Lahaina (a tiny village in Maui, Hawaii), I was shellshocked when Mary presented me with a check to help with shipping.

For Mary’s brother, Michael Carron, senior executive partner of TLM Group and founder of Rewired—how the organization fast forwarded from a group of construction and design business power movers playing golf for a grassroots charity… to launching a far-reaching philanthropic endeavor—the common denominator? Autism.

Carron shared, “It all started with a networking group discussing what was going on in the industry. The group eventually disbanded, but in 2007, we started the golf outing to try and do something to give back. And one of the guys in the group had an autistic niece, and my wife treated a lot of kids with autism with her pediatric physical therapy job. It seemed like everybody was somehow or another touched by autism, whether they knew somebody whose child, cousin, relative or neighbor were autistic. So, we decided to try and raise funds for autism. Then we were trying to decide what we were going to do with this money. It wasn’t a whole lot of money, but it was enough to make a difference. Autism Speaks is a big behemoth that really didn’t need the $20K or $30K that we were going to raise.”

Carron then relayed that it was a chance encounter that led Rewired on the path to steadfastly support autism grassroots organizations.

“In 2008, we had the first golf outing, and then my wife and I went on vacation. She saw one of her former clients, Max, who was then probably eight years old, but she had seen him for Early Intervention when he was three. While we were having dinner, I told his parents, ‘We’re raising money to do something for the autistic community. Do you know any grassroots up-and-coming organizations that could use the money?’ They came up with the Nassau/Suffolk Autism Society (NSAS), which, at the time, was a fledgling organization with very little money, all volunteers. And we quickly became their biggest fundraiser annually for many years. Now, a decade and a half later, they have somewhat of an endowment in the bank. They do a tremendous number of activities and just make life better for a lot of kids and families with autism. So, along the way, we picked up a couple of other charities that we started donating money to help.”

Carron relayed that Rewired’s passion is to see grassroots organizations like NSAS develop legs. “NSAS has got legs now, they’re getting grants and funding from a lot of other places. So, how can we replicate what we’ve been doing for the last 15 years and help more grassroots organizations find their legs? That’s kind of become our mission, is to find these organizations that have a direct impact on the lives of children and families with autism spectrum disorder and help them,” he said.

In the next installation of this column series, hear from Rewired’s Bob Muir and Rob Ioanna, plus Carron weigh in on vaccines, a controversial subject, but many parents and even the general public would concede it’s definitely an inner debate.

Note that 100% of Rewired For Autism’s proceeds go towards autism organizations, programs, businesses and more! For more info, and how you too can make a difference, visit: https://www.rewiredforautism.org/ Please feel free to share your sentiments, by emailing: kami@rockawaybeachautismfamilies.org