n 2001, Tommy Natelli, then 15, applied to participate in the nationally-known Washington DC AIDS ride, from Raleigh, N.C. to Washington.
He was turned down; AIDS ride participants have to be 18.
So Tommy and his brothers Michael and Joey started their own ride, to raise money for Food and Friends, which delivers more than 1,000 meals each day to people bedridden with AIDS and other serious illnesses.
In four years, Tommy, 19, Michael, 17, Joey, 19 and their brother Nicholas, 10, have raised more than $60,000 for Food and Friends in the growing annual event. The Natellis live in the Avenel development designed by their grandfather, the late Anthony Natelli.
"I just wanted to do something good and help people," Michael Natelli said. "The people at Food and Friends were so excited and showed so much interest. We stuck with them."
With more than 30 friends and neighbors signed up to participate, the downtown ride was adapted into a walk this year. The group started their hour-and-a-half walk at the Lincoln Memorial June 5.
The Natellis recruited participants from Gonzaga, where Michael and Joey attend, and friends from Georgetown Prep and other area schools. Co-organizers Kelsey Daniels and Margaret Durante, who recruited students from Holy Cross, Georgetown Visitation, Stone Ridge, Holy Child and other girls schools.
Each participant raised a minimum of $250.
Craig Shniderman, executive director of Food & Friends, praised the young walkers. "We are honored that the Natellis and their friends would do this for Food and Friends," he said. "To see such dedication from young people is heartening and demonstrates that no matter what your age, you can give something back to the community."