CAZENOVIA — On Nov. 7, Cazenovia native Tom Eschen ran in the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon as a member of “Dougie’s Team” to support the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism.
Eschen’s fundraising efforts will help the Flutie Foundation continue to fund programs that help individuals and families affected by autism live life to the fullest.
A member of the Cazenovia High School Class of 2007, Eschen graduated from Ithaca College in 2011 and moved to Boston in 2018, where he works as a sports broadcaster with For the Fans/Lax Sports Network.
He first connected with the Flutie Foundation this past summer when Christopher McConnell, a friend and former college football teammate, asked him to join Dougie’s Team for the 7-mile Falmouth Road Race.
“For the race, Chris and I combined to raise more than $2,000 for the foundation and had a great time running on the beautiful course on Cape Cod as well,” Eschen recalled.
Established in 1998, the Flutie Foundation provides direct financial assistance to families caring for loved ones with autism and serves as a resource for information on local service providers. It also helps fund service organizations that provide critical, innovative and responsive programming for people with autism, and advocates for greater acceptance and awareness of autism spectrum disorder.
“The foundation’s work [is] really amazing, giving such fantastic people opportunities they might not normally get,” said Eschen. “Through my work as a journalist I’ve been lucky to be able to work with various individuals with special needs and organizations that serve them. Every time, I have been struck by the positive impact these individuals make on everyone around them, serving as an inspiration and dose of perspective our world definitely needs.”
Eschen added that, through his work, he has also had the opportunity to interview “Flutie Fellows” Andrew Roberts and Mike Palmer.
Flutie Fellows are young adults with autism who have been invited to work with the Flutie Foundation in support of the following objectives: to pursue career opportunities and related life goals; to promote respect, inclusion, and opportunities for all people with autism; and to serve as ambassadors for the Flutie Foundation.
“Andrew is an aspiring sports journalist who might still be in high school but can talk sports with the best of them,” said Eschen. “Mike is the captain of Dougie’s Team and is in the midst of running the Boston Marathon and NYC Marathon within a month of each other. Both are amazing individuals who have shown what someone can do no matter their circumstances.”
Recently, Eschen was named the winner of a Flutie Foundation fundraising incentive challenge. As a reward for raising the most money/collecting the most donations over the course of a single weekend, Eschen received $500 to donate to an autism-serving organization of his choice.
“Because of everyone’s generosity, I’ll be giving the $500 to Syracuse Challenger Baseball and their Field of Dreams — an organization I was able to do a story on back in 2012 as a reporter in Syracuse,” he said. “My sister Sarah Gorman is also a teacher for those with special needs, and getting to know her students through her stories has been incredible as well.”
The 2021 NYC Marathon is Eschen’s first marathon. He finished with an official time of 3:34:50.
He decided to participate shortly after starting to train for the Falmouth Road Race on July 4.
“I used the build-up from the Falmouth Race, which was on Aug. 15, and began training for the NYC Marathon in full right after that,” he said on Nov. 1. “It’s been such a great process, and I’ve learned so much about the human body and how it reacts to this kind of training. Running 40-yard dashes, which I had done for most of my athletic life through football, is a whole lot different than 20-plus miles, so it’s been fun challenging myself in a different way and seeing how my body has reacted. So far, so good.”
According to Flutie Foundation Development Coordinator Ellie Gamache, the organization’s NYC Marathon fundraising goal is $35,000.
On Nov. 1, Eschen reported that the marathon runners had already raised more than $20,000, and that the total amount would likely be closer to $30,000 by race day.
Former NFL quarterback Doug Flutie, and his wife, Laurie, started the Flutie Foundation after their son, Dougie, was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. Since its establishment, the foundation has distributed over $15 million to schools and organizations that provide clinical therapies, respite services, recreational programs, social skills training, job support, and more for people affected by autism. The Flutie Foundation also provides education technology tools, adaptive camp scholarships, safety equipment, and direct family support through its partnerships and special initiatives. Its newest initiative, Flutie Spectrum Enterprises, will help create businesses to employ adults with autism.
To learn more about the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, visit flutiefoundation.org.
