WINDSOR, ONT. -- The survey says… a local family won big during their TV debut this week.
The Miceli family, who went viral last year on TikTok educating and advocating for autism awareness, are now turning their recent Family Feud fame into a donation to help support a cause near and dear to their hearts.
“It was so surreal. It was like we just walked into our tv and then we were playing the show with Jerry Dee," Maria Miceli says.
Amherstburg CAO John Miceli and his family put their quick thinking to the test as they took to the Family Feud Canada stage.
Playing for their 25-year-old son Giaci who lives with autism.
After winning the grand prize of $10,000, the family plans to donate part of their winnings to Autism Ontario.
“it was really important for us to win and it was really important for us to continue fundraising for that cause," Carolina Miceli says.
The family has shifted their efforts, going virtual with a fundraising goal of $200,000 for Autism Ontario’s Windsor-Essex chapter, as of Wednesday, more than $33,000 has been raised.
“It’s very expensive to pay for therapy for people with autism and it could cost upwards of $60,000 a year," Maria says. "So we are hoping to raise that money so we can get back to those families in our community."
The family has been involved in fundraising for the Windsor-Essex chapter for 20 years, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fundraising initiatives have been limited.
Carolina says although the game show experience is one they’ll never forget, it was more about raising money for a good cause.
“We are very grateful we were given the opportunity to promote autism acceptance on such a national level. Because it’s a cause that’s not going away any time soon,” she says. “But being able to share our story and other stories and you know raise that sort of awareness and money is something that’s huge for our local communities.”
