Running to Bring us Together

October 1st, 2022 By Peter Bialkowski

By Peter Bialkowski

Being part of a community is about giving back, respecting each other, and most importantly, inclusivity. Meadows Miler, the annual fundraising race dedicated to athletes, families, and everyone in between, is all about bringing people together. The race is a hybrid event with several runs, including a 5k, 10k, and a Fun Run on the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail. The event was created by the Nolte family, who have lived in Lawrenceville for over twenty years and were looking for a way to give back to the community. Jen, a school counselor in mental health, and her husband, Tom, were inspired by their son, Erik, who was diagnosed with autism at age two. Inspired by the beauty of the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail, Jen had the vision to create a race that could spread awareness of autism and show support for the Princeton Child Development Institute (PCDI), the non-profit program that her son attends. “The area of Lawrence and Hopewell would be a great place to create a run to give back to raise support for families,” says Jen. “I'm a runner myself, and alongside the beauty of our environment, I realized it would be a great place to bring people together.” Meadows Miler’s name was inspired by Mercer Meadows. In 2017, the first Meadows Miler began. They partnered with organizations such as Let Me Run, a program targeted at boys, and the Boys and Girls Club of Mercer County. The first event’s goal was 200 participants and achieved 300, which continued to grow every year. By 2019, the event had 700 runners and became an event the community looked forward to. This year’s event has expanded to include 100-yard kiddie dashes for the youngest runners. Not only was Jen inspired by her children, triplets Luke, Erik and Julia, and the nature in her community, but by PCDI itself. “It's all benefited the Princeton Child Development Institute,” Jen says. “I was inspired by the amazing work of the dedicated professionals at PCDI and wanted to partner with them to make an impact.” Since its inception, Meadows Miler has raised over $160,000 for PCDI’s programs. PCDI was founded in 1970 and offers services for children and adults with autism. The program was founded by a family whose son was diagnosed with autism. At the time the doctors told them their son would never be able to learn. Not satisfied with this answer, his grandmother set out to create a place that would not be a “taking care of” school, but a place for people with autism to learn and thrive. More than fifty years later, PCDI continues to have an enormous impact on each student’s life, and through research, positively impacts individuals around the world. “This is possible because of the generosity and commitment of our donors, families, and community,” says Brigid Small, PCDI Communications Coordinator. Autism affects every aspect of a person’s life, so PCDI’s programming is comprehensive. The Education Program supports children beginning in early intervention through age 21– at school, at home through parent-training, and in the community. The Adult Life Skills program includes a career development day-program, supported employment sites, and community-based residential programming. “Public funding is not sufficient to support the types of programs that PCDI provides,” says Dr. Amanda Freeman, PCDI Executive Director, “we rely on fundraising to meet the needs of our students.” “We have to rely on our community,” Brigid adds. “The Noltes are a huge help and a great partner with us. Our students belong in the community, and Meadows Miler brings everyone together. It’s inspiring to see the numbers of runners coming out to support people with autism.`` Fundraising is so important, and Meadows Miler works with PCDI to boost the morale of the community. Bringing in sponsors from REI, Starbucks, and even the Philadelphia Eagles’ Cheerleaders, the race gets bigger every year. All about grassroots involvement, Meadows Miler shows what can happen when you have a vision and see it grow, and how it can benefit the community. It brings a sense of inclusivity, which was the goal from the beginning. “We designed the event to be accessible to individuals with autism and their families while remaining a competitive run for more seasoned runners,” says Brigid. “Some of our top runners have competed in the Olympic Trials.” Although taking place virtually during the pandemic in 2020, the race is on and in person this year. On November 5th, the sixth annual Meadows Miler will start at Rosedale Park in Pennington. For the past few years, the race has been kicked off by local officials, including the mayor of Hopewell Township Courtney Peters-Manning, and Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, for which the Noltes are especially appreciative of their encouragement. Jen’s hope is to return to 700 participants and to continue to grow every year. “We want to continue to show support of the school, spread autism awareness, and benefit the Princeton Child Development Institute,” she says. “It’s important to make sure individuals affected by special needs can participate and set goals just as those unaffected can.” Please visit the Meadows Miler website at https://pcdi.org/events/ meadows-miler/ for more information and to support the cause. You can even sign up to become a virtual participant and receive a Meadows Miler t-shirt and medal. The race was created to bring more inclusivity, awareness, and morale to the community, so everyone is welcome!

Originally published in Lawrence Neighbors