Mason Technologies backs Suffolk County autism society’s inaugural fundraiser walk

Mason Technologies’ support for the Nassau/Suffolk Autism Society of America’s first Long Island Autism Walk put a direct spotlight on the service gap the group says it is trying to close for Suffolk families: access to free programs for people with autism and their families without local membership fees. The walk at Sunken Meadow Park was more than a community gathering. It was a funding push for social, educational and recreational activities that NSASA says families across Long Island rely on.

The Autism Society of America named the Nassau/Suffolk affiliate its 2025 Affiliate of the Year on February 12, 2026, citing a 25% increase in family membership in less than 12 months, more than 1,500 new members and more than 200 free programs. Suffolk County also formally recognized the affiliate’s work with a proclamation, underscoring the group’s reach beyond Nassau County and into the daily lives of Suffolk parents, children and caregivers who need programs that do not come with a price tag.

NSASA says its model is built around access. The nonprofit says it serves families across Long Island and offers free social, educational and recreational activities, with all donations going directly to those programs. The group also says families do not need to pay local chapter membership fees to participate, a detail that makes fundraising central to keeping the doors open for families who may already be stretched by therapy bills, transportation costs and the added demands of autism-related care.

Michele Iallonardi, NSASA’s executive director, and board president Alison Tawil have overseen the affiliate’s recent growth as the organization expanded its programming and its regional footprint. The nonprofit’s events page also lists a 2026 Bike to the Beach fundraiser for Saturday, October 3, 2026, from Manhattan to Smith Point, showing that the walk is part of a wider calendar built to sustain year-round services rather than a one-day campaign.

For Mason Technologies, the sponsorship also fits a period of expansion in Suffolk. The Deer Park-based technology integration company, founded in 2002, is relocating to 395 Oser Avenue in Hauppauge, where it plans to invest nearly $21 million in private capital, retain 239 employees and create 25 new full-time jobs while adding solar panels. As the company grows, its support for NSASA ties business development to a local nonprofit that says its mission depends on steady community funding and direct service to families.