Correspondent photo / Sean Barron
Gina Peplow of McDonald carries 95 pounds of weights during a strongman competition, which was part of the Autism Society of the Mahoning Valley’s sixth annual Warriors fundraiser Saturday morning at the Canfield Fairgrounds.
CANFIELD — Jaxson Sugar is a young fan of the iconic superhero Captain America, who has undergone many iterations over the years.
For his part, Jaxson, 9, of New Middletown, went through many dance iterations over a handful of minutes.
“He was nonverbal at times. He started stimming at times, and it grew from there,” his mother, Angie Sugar said. “He had a lot of jumping and finger clicking.”
She was referring to early symptoms Jaxson exhibited before he was diagnosed in 2020 with autism. Since then, he has further developed into a more verbal and loving child who’s also a bit reserved, Angie Sugar added.
Jaxson had an opportunity to display some of that love — coupled with a few dance moves borne from excitement — to those in his orbit at the Autism Society of the Mahoning Valley’s sixth annual Mahoning Valley Warriors gathering Saturday morning at the Canfield Fairgrounds.
Potential Development was the presenting sponsor of the four-hour event, which is the ASMV’s largest fundraiser.
“We are committed to supporting children with autism and other developmental challenges, and this event aligns perfectly with our mission to provide individualized resources and a compassionate community for families,” Paul Garchar, Potential Development’s chief executive officer, said in a statement.
A primary fundraising goal was to generate $75,000, Stacie Bacorn, ASMV’s executive director, noted. Saturday’s event brought in about $82,000, Aundrea Cika Heschmeyer, the ASMV’s board chairwoman, said.
For his part, Jaxson attends Springfield Local Schools, where he’s in general education classes. He also receives occupational, speech and applied behavior analysis therapies, Angie Sugar said, adding that her son has an aide who assists him throughout the school day.
Also, the team named for Jaxson, which had about 50 friends and family members, raised more than $7,800 Saturday, and has been the Warriors’ largest fundraising group for the past four years, she continued.
“He loves playing soccer, baseball, and loves to swim and play video games,” Edward Thomas of Austintown said, referring to his son, Jaxon Thomas, 8, who received an autism diagnosis in 2019, when he was 2.
Early on, Jaxon was unresponsive to his name. Like many on the autism spectrum, he fixated on certain objects and did not engage with other students and peers, his father recalled.
Today, though, Jaxon is far more social, especially with family and friends. He also loves school, particularly math, spelling and learning, then using, new vocabulary words, Edward Thomas explained.
In addition, Jaxon was the inspiration for “Jaxon’s Perfect Pieces,” one of several dozen registered teams at the Warriors event, his mother, Briasia Thomas, said. “Jaxon’s Perfect Pieces” had about 25 members, she added.
Other teams included “Owen and Coop’s Troop,” “Team Chandler,” “Team Austin” and “Team Jace.”
Many of the estimated 600 people who registered also took advantage of an indoor resource fair at which representatives from a wide array of agencies provided their offerings. They included the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office, Ohio Means Jobs, Help Network of Northeast Ohio, JFS Wealth Advisors, the Fairhaven Foundation, Mahoning County Special Olympics, Potential Development, the Rich Center for the Study and Treatment of Autism and Operation Search & Help.
The event, however, would have been incomplete without a diverse menu of activities, such as a people-powered tractor pull, a 1-mile autism support walk, a Valley autism 5K competition, a kids fun run and a strongman attraction.
Among those who flexed plenty of muscles in the latter were Terri Norling of Boardman and Gina Peplow of McDonald. They accepted the challenge of carrying 95 pounds of weights several yards and back.
The Mahoning Valley sees about 6,000 cases of autism per year, which is on par with the national average, Bacorn said, adding that the area also has a plethora of services and resources for individuals and families.
Beyond the funds and fun, it is hoped the Warriors event will foster greater understanding and awareness of, and inclusion for, those on the spectrum, she said. If people in a grocery store or other public setting bear witness to someone with autism who’s experiencing a meltdown, for example, they will respond with greater understanding instead of judgment, Bacorn added.
Many of the funds raised Saturday will go toward the ASMV’s offerings, such as its social connections program, family outings and an information-and-referral helpline, she said.
Bacorn also wasn’t shy about expressing gratitude to the community for its continued backing for events such as Warriors.
“I cannot tell you how thrilled I am,” said Bacorn, who lives in Stark County and whose daughter, Ayrabella Bacorn, 15, was diagnosed at age 3.
