Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84GoodLifeFamilyMag.com MARCH | APRIL 2017 13 Good Kid AWARD Game, Set, Match! MATTHEW BRANSKY NETS A WIN WITH TENNIS PROGRAM FOR AUTISTIC KIDS by Karyn Brodsky Benjamin Franklin coined the phrase, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” Of course, Franklin never knew Matthew Bransky of Dallas, but it’s certain he would have highly approved of his efforts. Matthew, the 17-year-old son of Adrienne and Aaron Bransky of Dallas, is bringing ACEing Autism, an instructional tennis program for kids with autism, to the community. His 14-year-old brother, Josh is autistic and Matthew has always been interested in helping him and creating awareness for the condition. He sees ACEing Autism as an ideal way to support a cause that’s near and dear to him and to his family. Launching a new tennis program is ambitious, particularly for someone like Matthew who is already quite busy. An ambassador for the Parish Episcopal School in Dallas, as well as a member of its tennis team, Quiz Bowl team, National Honor Society, and drum line, he is also taking an online class sponsored by NASA. Matthew will compete intheNASAHumanExplorationRoverChallenge Contest this year in Huntsville, Alabama. Matthew, like his classmates, is required to perform 15 hours of community service per year as a requirement for graduation. As a freshman and sophomore, he organized a school team for the walk sponsored by Autism Speaks, but this year was different. Matthew first learned about ACEing Autism from a commercial he saw on the Tennis Channel. He did some research and found that an active chapter did not exist in Dallas. He enlisted the help of his mother Adrienne, and the two began the legwork to make the program a reality. “While this program isn’t a fix for autism, it’s a more hands-on situation,” says Matthew. “With ACEing Autism, we’ll see the impact that the tennis makes on the kids with autism and on their families.” While Adrienne is heading up the marketing effort, Matthew recruits volunteers, who are mainly his peers at school, and a good friend recruits participants for the tennis lessons. ACEing Autism’s partners such as Penn Head provide equipment, and the mother-son duo has secured funds though the Metroplex Tennis League in Dallas to offer the class free of charge to 20 kids on the spectrum. In addition, national scholarships are available to those with financial need. In addition to laying the groundwork for the program, Matthew and Adrienne will be present at both one-hour class sessions each weekend. Beginning this March 18th, the classes are already full, but there is a participant waiting list contingent upon drawing more volunteers. For information on future enrollment or to volunteer, visit aceingautism.org/locations/ dallas-tx/ or email aceingautismdallas@gmail.com. For his sincere desire to spread autism awareness and help those closely affected by autism, his efforts to bring a program that will foster social skills and confidence, for his incredible “take charge” spirit, we award Matthew Bransky our Good Kids Award and a $250 scholarship. “With ACEing Autism, we'll see the impact that tennis makes on the kids with autism and on their families. ” - Matthew Bransky, pictured above with his mom, Adrienne TheGOODKIDAwardispresentedtoastudentaged12to21whodisplaysexemplarycharacter,courage andpersonalvaluesand,who,withoutaskingforattentionfortheirefforts,causesotherstotakenotice. Fortheirgenuinecommitmenttohelpingaperson,organizationand/ortheircommunity,thewinnerof theGoodKidAwardreceivesaCertificateofAchievementanda$250scholarship.