Many people ran. Some walked. Many were younger. Some were older. But everybody who showed up had one thing in common – they helped a worthy cause.

Approximately 150 people participated in “The Wildcat Race: Bringing Awareness to Autism” on Saturday, May 6.

The event – which included a 10-kilometer run, 5-kilometer run/walk and a Fun Run for kids – raised more than $4,000.

After expenses, $500 will be donated to the Ray Sutherland scholarship fund, which benefits Oxford High School students, and approximately $2,500 will go to the Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAOM).

AAOM’s mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals with autism through education, access to comprehensive services, community awareness, inclusion efforts and coordinated advocacy.

“It means so much to us to see everybody coming out to support our organization,” said Rana Ramouni, who has worked for the AAOM as part of its MiNavigator program since January.

“These events are what make us. Every dollar that comes into our organization goes out to the community.”

MiNavigator is staffed by a team of autism specialists with expertise in variety of fields. They work one-on-one with families affected by autism to help them “navigate and overcome the many barriers they face when trying to access care and support for their loved one,” according to the AAOM website www.autismallianceofmichigan.org.

“We help them throughout their lives,” Ramouni said. “When you get a navigator, you get a navigator for life.”

This year’s Wildcat Race was organized by OHS juniors Stiina Mason, Kalli Mulholland and Sarah Haske.

It was Mason’s idea to champion autism awareness.

Her mother, Jodi, works with special needs individuals in Brandon and she personally knows someone who’s been affected by autism.

“My friend’s little brother has autism and he is the sweetest kid I know,” Mason said. “He just makes my day. I want to make sure he can grow up and have a job and live his life.”

That’s what the AAOM wants as well. That’s why the organization works so hard to promote acceptance and understanding of those with autism spectrum disorder.

“They’re individuals just like us,” Ramouni said.

As such, they can’t all be lumped together and treated the same way with no regard for their uniqueness or personal needs.

“One in 68 kids is diagnosed with autism each year,” Ramouni said. “Every kid with autism is different. Every individual on the spectrum has different needs and different learning abilities.”

To Ramouni, “one of the biggest misconceptions” about people with autism is they “want to be left alone.”

“People see them as being in their own little world, so they treat them as though they are,” she explained. “But they really need to be accepted into the community. They want what we all want – to be part of something bigger, to be part of the community, to be included.”

“I teach my kids when you see (a child with autism) playing by himself, go and play with him, even if it’s just side by side,” Ramouni continued. “It makes a big difference. They do feel it and they know it. We all have that capacity to love and to give.”

Ramouni reiterated her gratitude to the students and community for taking the cause of autism awareness to heart.

“We’re honored that Oxford High School has allowed us to be a part of this and we thank them,” she said.