WAN March 23, 2023

Tarrytown Teen Authors and Illustrates Ocean-Themed Book

By Anne DeVries

Jing Graber, a 17-year-old senior at Regents High School, recently held a launch party for her children’s book, “Can you Sea Me?” at her home in Tarrytown. The event was attended by her friends and family, who gathered to celebrate the young author’s accomplishment. The book features Jing’s love for the ocean and its inhabitants and was still the topselling new children’s book on Amazon in the second week of March.

Jing’s passion for the ocean and her fascination with sea creatures began when she was a child. Her love for art, coupled with her curiosity, inspired her to write and illustrate the book. “Can you Sea Me?” showcases each ocean animal’s natural habitat and displays how it blends in with its environment, challenging readers to find the disguised animals while providing interesting details.

At the launch party, five-year-old Channing was impressed by Jing’s work, exclaiming, “Jing drew this? What in the world? It’s way too good! You mean she drew all the animals and did all the colors? Oh my gosh! Did she

It’s My Park Day for Cub Scout Pack 59 at Highland Park

By Alana Moehring Mallard

More than 75 volunteers with Cub Scout Pack 59, including girl and boy Cub Scouts, families, and friends, with beautification efforts at Highland Park Elementary and Perry Park as part of It’s My Park Day on March

4. It’s My Park Day is Austin Parks Foundations biggest volunteer event of the year.

Pack 59 Community Chair Peter Ruggero said the Austin Parks Foundation donated 20 cubic feet of mulch and loaned tools to the Scouts’ efforts at Highland Park.

“I’m taking it to the trees and dumping it out,” said Cub Scout Niles Cunningham as he pulled a load of mulch heaped up on one of the black plastic sleds borrowed from Austin Parks Foundation. As the morning’s work wrapped

up, dozens of playground and school grounds trees and shrubs – oaks, sycamores, pecans, yaupon, crepe myrtle -- had fresh mulch spread under them.

Pack 59’s Tiger Den leaders are Steve Walkup, Belinda Arumbula, and Elizabeth Huffmaster. Pack 59 is chartered by Covenant Presbyterian Church on Northland. Cub Scout and first-grader John Walkup likes volunteering he said, and likes Cub Scouts. What does he like about being in scouts?

“We go camping and we learn to tie knots,” John said.

This year, 3,301 It’s My Park Day volunteers worked on 84 park projects totaling nearly 10,000 volunteer hours, giving much needed care to ice storm damaged parks. Austin Parks

Foundation estimates that volunteers on It’s My Park Day donated time worth

almost $300,000. The next city wide It’s My Park Day is Saturday, Nov. 4.

Our PATRON SPONSORS/SUBSCRIBERS

write all the words too?”

Jing was adopted from China at three months old by her parents, Julie and Cameron Graber, who also adopted her older sister MeiMei. The sisters grew up in Tarrytown and attended Regents School of Austin.

Jing’s preschool teacher at Good Shephard, Mary Morgan, and teachers from Regents attended the book launch, along with Ester Fedorkevich, the owner of the Fedd Agency, who published the book.

Fedorkevich was proud of Jing’s accomplishment, stating, “Working with Jing has been an incredible experience, and we’re so proud of her and the book! It’s not often that we work with such a young author, and we can’t wait to see where her talent and passion will take her.”

Jing plans to study Marine biology and minor in art after graduation. She is still undecided about where she will attend college but knows that writing and illustrating are in her future, as is authoring another book. In her words, “There is just so much to discover, which is why I hope to share a taste of the sea with my community in Austin, as well as those beyond."

PHOTOS ALANA MOEHRING MALLARD

Around the Neighborhood: openingexpandingcelebrating

April Fool’s Stories

— Compiled by Forrest Preece

It’s about that time of the year, so we asked a few West Austinites for April Fool’s stories. Here is what they said.

WHEN

YOU WANT TO GET AWAY EVERY DAY

One time we unbolted the front seats in a friend’s car in the middle of the night and turned them around backwards. One of my favorite stories involved my ex-wife’s father when he was a kid growing up in Ranger, Texas. They wanted to prank their teacher so one night they disassembled a Model T Ford, carried the parts up to the third floor of the schoolhouse, and reassembled it in the middle of the classroom.

— Andy Fish

On April 1, 2016, I posted on Facebook that Forrest and I were looking to move back to a singlefamily neighborhood. I said, “It’s so crowded that no one comes down here anymore ... so look for us in the suburbs soon. Preferably someplace where walking to anything is unimaginable, but you don’t have to ride an elevator to bring in the groceries. How could we have been so blind for almost eight years? [If you read this far, congratulations. You don’t have attention deficit disorder and you probably

know what day it is. Just a little good fun, folks.]” Even a month after that, people were bounding up to us at parties, all atwitter – “Hey! I heard you were moving out of downtown!”

— Linda Ball

One fine April 1st years ago, Johnny Guffey called me up all in a turmoil, telling us that Jeffrey’s, where he was the legendary server, had burned down. He told me that it was a kitchen fire, and the place was a total loss. He went on and on about how horrible it was and what was he going to do, his co-workers were going crazy, and all the rest. Then he said, “You do know what day this is, right?”

— Lisa Jasper

Like so many, we love the local camps. My Camp Mystic experience was a treasure and now my girls are enjoying the same experience, while our son is a proud camper at Rio Vista. While camp is great for the kids, the adults deserve a place to enjoy too.

Let me put my knowledge of the area I now call home and my personal network to work for you. We’ll have fun finding your very own “happy place” in the Hill Country.

The best April Fool’s Joke ever played, in my opinion -we opened Esther’s Follies on April Fool’s Day, 1977, and have been laughing ever since!

—

Shannon

Sedwick, Co-producer, door person, chief bottle washer and bathroom monitor at Esther’s Follies

Oh my! The joke that backfired!”

Deborah

Over the years our family has fallen in love with the Hill Country – the peacefulness, the people, the community and the natural beauty.

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Verne Lundquist

BY FORREST PREECE

Yes, this man, now in his eighties, is a legend who has lent his golden-throated talents to so many stellar moments in sports (remember the Nicklaus birdie putt at The Masters in 1986?) — and he is a member of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association’s Hall of Fame. But I can tell you that he is just the same offscreen. I left my conversation with him feeling energized for the rest of the day.

Some of you will remember that one of Verne’s first jobs in sportscasting was with Austin’s KTBC-TV back in 1963. (By the way, Verne graduated from Austin High.) After calculating what his annual raises there would amount to in twenty years, he soon did an audition and moved to WOAI in San Antonio, where he anchored the 6 and 10 pm newscasts. He was missing sportscasting, though, and after three tryouts, he landed a post at WFAA in Dallas in September 1967, doing the sports at 6 and 10. Within a week, Tex Schramm had noticed his talent and after some negotiation, Verne was working on KRLD’s Cowboys broadcasts as well as handling his WFAA duties.

At this time, Verne was working with Blackie Sherrod,

who was doing the color commentary. One day in 1969, Blackie went to Fayetteville for the UT-Arkansas “Shootout in the Ozarks” and then had to fly from there to do the CowboysSteelers game in Pittsburgh, which involved driving to Tulsa and catching two connecting flights over eight hours. Verne and another announcer caught up with Blackie in Pittsburgh and as they were waiting for the elevator in the Arcticcold stadium, a chunk of ice fell onto Blackie’s hat and he exclaimed, “I’m done with this stuff !” After that, Verne got promoted to doing color for the Cowboys and then to the play-by-play post, which he held from 1972-83.

His spectacular career has placed him among the all-time greats of his profession. He has been a key voice for NFL Films; with Scott Hamilton he announced the figure skating championships for the Winter Olympics three times (and was parodied on Saturday Night Live); and he was the lead play-by-play announcer for SEC games from 2000-2016. He also called many college basketball games, including NCAA Tournaments, and he is still announcing The Masters and the PGA Championship. While we were talking, I

asked him about some current topics of interest.

ON UT MOVING TO THE SEC.

“They are gonna play with the big boys. I like it. College athletics is so convoluted right now. Especially with USC and UCLA going to the Big 10, I don’t know what’s going to be left of the Pac-12. This move makes sense on many levels. But I’m a traditionalist, and I want to see The Aggies and

Texas play again, somehow. And I hope they can preserve Texas vs Oklahoma, too. I don’t know if they can keep both of those rivalries on an annual basis, but I’d imagine that Texas/OU would take precedence over Texas vs. A&M. And if they go to a ninegame conference schedule and they’re in the West Division against Alabama, oh boy. I’m excited. I’ve seen speculation that there could eventually be four 20-team conferences. I guess it’s whatever ESPN

dictates – I say that sadly and sarcastically. That is why CBS quit negotiating with the SEC. We just couldn’t stay up with ESPN. The last SEC broadcast for CBS will happen this year with the championship game.”

ON NIL AND THE TRANSFER PORTAL

“In principle, I agree with NIL (“Name-ImageLikeness”). I’ve always thought that the players deserve compensation. I totally understand the philosophy behind it. You have coaches making eight, nine, ten million a year and then leaving their kids in the lurch when the next best thing comes along, and the kids are forced to stay. But whew! I see the cars some of those guys are driving and I just shake my head. And that transfer portal. We grew up with the notion that a player stuck with his team – I mean, look at guys like Tommy Nobis and James Street and Steve Worster who bled orange. But then again, if the coaches can leave whenever they want, the players shouldn’t be subject to indentured servitude.”

TWO OF HIS FAVORITE CALLS, BACK-TO-BACK.

In 2013, Verne and Gary Danielson were announcing the Georgia-Auburn game. Auburn was behind with almost no time left and put up a 50-yard Hail Mary pass on 4th and 18. Two Georgia defenders went for the interception and tipped the ball to the Auburn running back who caught it and ran in for the game-winning touchdown. Gary told Verne, “That was the best game I’ve ever seen.”

Two weeks later, he ate

those words on the last play of the “Kick Six” Iron Bowl game – Auburn vs. Alabama. It was tied up with one second on the clock and Alabama’s coach, Nick Saban, furious with his regular kicker, went to a redshirt freshman to try a 57-yard field goal. It fell just short and an Auburn cornerback who was stationed in the end zone caught it and ran it all the way back for the win. Verne’s masterful words: “On the way … No, returned by Chris Davis. Davis goes left. Davis gets a block. Davis has another block! Chris Davis! No flags! Touchdown, Auburn! An answered prayer!” After the third replay, Gary said, “No wonder they couldn’t catch him! They had nothing but fat guys on the field!” Verne still uses those two games for his highlight reel when he does speeches.

THIS 2023 MASTERS TOURNAMENT

“This will be number thirty-nine for me. I’m excited about being there. And if there has ever been an early favorite better than Jon Rahm, I don’t know who it would be. The way he’s playing, it’s just incredible. I do know this – I’ve made it my personal mission to meet Scottie Scheffler. I’ve heard he’s one of the world’s nicest people. I’d like to shake his hand and say good luck. CBS puts us up in private homes for the week. Nancy and I will be rooming with two other couples who are good friends. I’ll be 82 this year and I’ve agreed with my boss Sean McManus that the 2024 tournament will be my last. I’ve done the Masters all but two years since 1983.” (In 1997 and 1998, Verne was with TNT.)

If I had to pick out two words that describe the announcing style of Verne Lundquist, they’d be “infectious enthusiasm.”

April 1 is Trowel and Error

Gardening Symposium at Mayfield Park

By Alana Moehring Mallard

It’s time to start getting serious about digging in the garden, and what better way to do that than spending a morning at Mayfield Park and its annual Trowel and Error Gardening Symposium on Saturday, April 1, from 9:30 a.m. till noon.

“We are going to do things a little differently this year,” said Blake Tollett, leader of Mayfield Park-Community Project. “We have scheduled two speakers rather than the usual three, and Peacock Recorder Consort, a recorder group that holds their practice sessions at the park during the year, have agreed to entertain during the lead up to the talks.”

Trowel and Error kicks

off, as always, with a 9:30 a.m. pass-along plant sale and a chance to buy tickets to win

WHERE I’M COMING FROM

Richard Craig

BY FORREST PREECE

1. What is something about you that most people don’t know?

I am a direct descendant of Elijah Craig, a Baptist preacher in Kentucky who supposedly invented Bourbon whiskey in the late 18th Century.

2. What was your first job? Restocking the shelves at the Austin Public Library’s Howson branch on Exposition Blvd. during summer break.

3. If you could have dinner with any three people in

baskets of gardening goodies. Again this year Girl Scout Troop 42112 will help with refreshments.

This year’s speakers are Darrel Mayers whose talk is entitled A Celebration of Gardens and Gardening in Poetry and Music with Special Guest Speakers, and Renee Studebaker who will talk about the benefits and steps in rewilding a home garden.

April 1’sTrowel and Error Gardening Symposium is Mayfield Park-Community Project’s annual fundraiser to help restore the grounds and cottage of Mayfield Park, an out of town getaway a century ago for the Mayfield family of Austin, and now an Austin city park and peacock refuge that invites meditative walks among the palm trees, cottage gardens, rock walls, and trails to Lake Austin.

history, who would they be?

Frederick Law Olmsted, Texas Governor E.M. Pease and Lyndon B. Johnson.

4. If you had to pick three musicians for a playlist, who would they be?

Robert Earl Keen, Willie Nelson and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. I am also a big fan of the now defunct Austin indie band “the Hudsons.”

5. Favorite Book & TV Show Book: “Washington” by Ron Chernow. TV show:

“Finding Your Roots” on PBS.

6. Most powerful movie: “An Uncomfortable Truth” by Al Gore

7. Favorite Place in Austin: Pease District Park & the Shoal Creek Hike & Bike Trail

8. Favorite Local Restaurant and Watering Hole: 34th Street Cafe (Eddie Bernal is the host with the most). Watering Hole: Hopfield’s

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up? When I was very little- a zookeeper. When I was oldera lawyer.

10. What living person do you most admire?

That’s a tough one. Maybe four people; Dr. Anthony Fauci, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger and Congressman Jaime Raskin.

11. What makes you happy? Planting and caring for trees. Watering is very zen!

12. Best advice you ever received? Keep your mouth shut more often than not.

Founder, Pease Park Conservancy; Vice President of TreeFolks; Board Member MUNY Conservancy; Member UT Advisory Committee, Texas Memorial Museum

One Word at a Time gala to support Austin Speech Labs

Austin Speech Labs announces its annual fundraiser, One Word at a Time, on April 27 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin. This year’s goal is $100,000 to support clients, such as James, who face significant challenges and work hard to rebuild their lives after stroke.

James is a former firefighter paramedic. He served in the Iraq war, and later worked on offshore rigs. James also owned and managed a towing company. One night James went to meet a client and wound up in the hospital after being brutally attacked. James was 46 years old at the time, with three young sons and an adoring family.

James had a mountain in front of him. His doctors told his family he would never walk or talk again, but three years later, James, a true fighter, is determined to beat the odds. He comes to therapy four days a week with a hard working, optimistic attitude, encouraging other clients and

bringing smiles to those who work with him. He truly is one of a kind, and he will take the stage and share his story.

At the One Word at a Time event, guests will hear from three Austin Speech Labs clients — James Molinoski, Maegen Lane, and Daniel Maldonado — and learn more about Austin Speech Labs and the impact that support can have on our community. The event also includes a silent auction and other opportunities to donate.

The funds raised at the One Word at a Time fundraiser go directly to providing resources and support to clients like James and Maegen and Daniel, who have shown incredible resilience and determination in the face of adversity. With community help, Austin Speech Labs can continue to provide intensive speech and language therapy in order to make a real difference in the lives of people who struggle with speech.

AT THE ONE WORD AT A TIME

EVENT, GUESTS WILL HEAR FROM THREE AUSTIN SPEECH LABS CLIENTS — JAMES MOLINOSKI, MAEGEN LANE, AND DANIEL MALDONADO — AND LEARN MORE ABOUT AUSTIN SPEECH LABS AND THE IMPACT THAT SUPPORT CAN HAVE ON OUR COMMUNITY.

Fourteenth Annual One Word At A Time

Presented by the Nelson Puett Foundation Thursday, April 27, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.

Four Seasons Hotel Austin Ballroom 98 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, Texas 78701

Cocktails, Silent Auction & Dinner | Business Casual Benefiting

FORTITUDE PRESENTING SPONSOR

Nelson Puett Foundation

RESILIENCE

Robert and Donna Hollingsworth

Catherine Lucchesi and Tucker

Groendyke

Kacy and Scott O’Hare

Brian and Adria Sheth

Dr. Steven Warach and Dr. Mary Abreu

Laura and Andrew York

DETERMINATION

Casey Gwinn and Family

Doug Lackey

Shilpa and Venu Shamapant

The University of Texas at Austin

Peggy Bradley

Sherrie and Dr. Bob Frachtman

Maxwell Locke & Ritter

Missy and Dick McCarroll

Ann McIver

Gerald Carruth in memory of Gail

Carruth

Marlene and Gary Cotshott

Custom Sheet Metal, Inc.

Georgia Erickson

Shelley & Brent Adair

Austin Subaru

Baylor Scott & White Health

Richard and Judith Berkowitz

Covert Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

PATIENCE

Adi and Rajul Mishra

Sanjeev Mohan

John and Dixie Paulos

Perkins Coie LLP

PERSEVERANCE

Sunena and Dr. Harish Gagneja

Dr. Tom Hill and Patti Hallady

Husch Blackwell LLP

Kapil and Sangeeta Jain

Matt and Rita Kreisle

H-E-B

COURAGE

HPI Real Estate Services and Investments

Megan Koppenhoefer

Dr. Robert & Linda Lee

Irene and Byron Smith and Mark Smith and Sara Jones

Barry and Melinda Twomey

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation

Deborah and Richard Rudy

Shearman & Sterling LLP

GP and Winkey Singh and The Sikh Spirit Foundation

R Bank Silicon Valley Bank

Stephen Saunders, Steve Shook and Bill and Danna Volk

Helping Hand Home presents 80th annual Crystal Ball

Two thousand guests gathered at the Palmer Events Center on Saturday, March 4, for one of the largest celebrations of the year, the Helping Hand Society of Austin’s 80th annual Crystal Ball.

Chaired by Lindsey Sartain and Christy Werner, the event featured a full day of festivities, beginning with a delicious champagne brunch that featured a video of Helping Hand forever families and the home’s foster-to-adopt program. Also at the brunch the First Grade Princesses were presented, and ninth grade Helping Hand Girls were introduced as were the Debutantes.

Elegantly dressed guests reunited Saturday evening with old friends for the Crystal Ball’s hallmark black-tie Debutante Presentation Gala and the presentation of ninth grade Helping Hand Home Boys and Girls. With floral decorations by Westbank Flower Market and debutants dressed in classic white formal dresses, the Palmer Events Center looked like something straight from a fairy tale.

After cocktail hour and dinner, debutants and their escorts were presented one by one. Following the presentation, guests of all ages danced the night away.

Funds from the evening benefit Helping Hand Home for Children, an organization that has provided a nurturing home for children since 1893.

Helping Hand Home has provided a safe haven for children healing from physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, neglect, or abandonment by delivering a continuum of services including therapeutic residential treatment, on-site charter school, foster care program, and adoption and family support programs. Thanks to private and community support, Helping Hand Home is able to fulfill its mission of healing the most vulnerable children and restoring them to healthy families. The Home’s East campus expansion, which will increase capacity by 41%, will be completed later this year.

PHOTOS BY BEN PORTER

Embrace Ministry Delivers 50 Wheelchairs to Partner Ministry in Egypt

By Anne DeVries

Austin Ridge Bible Church’s Embrace ministry recently traveled to Cairo and Minya, Egypt, to deliver 50 wheelchairs to their partner ministry, NOVA. This lifechanging delivery was made possible through donations from the Austin Community. Many recipients had never had access to a wheelchair before, limiting their mobility and quality of life.

Embrace is a ministry that supports families of children, teens, and adults with special needs. They offer parent events, support, and activities for individuals with intellectual or developmental delays. The ministry also provides one-on-one pal support and hosts classes during Sunday services at all Austin Ridge Bible Church locations. Austin Ridge volunteers contribute weekly to supporting the Sunday ministry by engaging with youth and adults in the pal support program.

The trip to Egypt marked Embrace’s first mission abroad. In addition to delivering wheelchairs, volunteers from Austin Ridge trained support staff leaders for NOVA on disability awareness. Led by Austin Ridge Volunteer-Lead Gail Henderson, the training included demonstrations of communicating with individuals who have unique sensory or cognition needs. With the help of an interpreter, over 80 NOVA volunteer leaders were trained by the Embrace ministry during their visit.

Henderson, who has spent over 40 years working with children with special needs as a professional, stated that participating in the Embrace ministry allowed her to “regain her sense of purpose” following her retirement. She has been a volunteer with Embrace for over 11 years.

One of the unique aspects of NOVA’s ministry in Egypt, which Embrace supports, is their in-home visitations and training of special needs individuals to share their Christianity with others. Embrace volunteers from Austin observed the inspiration the NOVA program gives to special needs individuals by training them to lead bible study and introduce others to Christianity. The experience of visiting Egypt prompted Amy Sutherland, the director of the Embrace ministry, to implement a similar program at Austin Ridge for their special needs community. Leaders within the community are already training to embark on this program, which will take place in the homes of Austin Ridge special needs participants.

The relationship between NOVA and the Embrace ministry is a beautiful partnership that provides growth and benefit to both programs. A second trip to Egypt is planned for July this year, focusing on building a fully accessible playground. Donations for the “Embrace Egypt Trip-July 2023 Fund” can be made at www.austinridge. org/give.

Chapeaux & Chinoiserie, Red Haute Luncheon & Children’s Style Show

Austin’s favorite children’s fashion show, the Women’s Symphony League of Austin’s annual Red Haute Luncheon & Children’s Style Show, commenced on Sunday, February 26th at the new downtown Austin Marriott. Combining fashion, fun and philanthropy for an ultra family-friendly event, the Austin community gathered to celebrate this beloved WSL tradition.

This year’s event chairs, Caron Camp Hutchison and Meredith Presley Wood, threw an exceptional party with a “Best of Show” hat contest and homemade fascination station where little ones could make their own bespoke fascinators.

Emceed by Trevor Scott and festive Hugs & Kisses games led by Celeste Hubert, guests enjoyed a delicious lunch and an adorable runway show featuring some of Austin’s littlest style stars.

Produced by Sue Webber and her wonderful team, kids stunned on the runway in festive designs by: Alexa James Baby, Bizzy Lizzy Boutique, Estilo Kids, Lilly Pulitzer, Love Shack Fancy, and Pajama Princess. Before and after the show, guests had the opportunity to shop from participating marketplace boutiques. All proceeds from the event directly benefit the Austin Symphony Orchestra and its education programs for children.

For over 70 years, the Women’s Symphony League of Austin has dedicated its energy, talents and volunteerism by providing service and financial support to the Austin Symphony Orchestra. The Women’s Symphony League is the largest annual financial supporter of the Austin Symphony Orchestra educational programs for children. Over 65,000 children benefit from the innovative educational programs of the ASO every year.

Kacy Dolce, Realtor ®

Central Texas Roots, Global Reach

Kacy Dolce, a 7th generation Texan married to a 6th generation Austinite, comes from generations of real estate brokerage, title, land use, and land/property investment.

As a double major in Marketing and Business from Southern Methodist University and master’s level work in the MBA program at St Edward’s University, Kacy brings a greater understanding of the business of real estate. In today’s challenging real estate market, now more than ever, you can rely on Kacy to bring proven experience when buying, selling and investing.

• 2022-2024 DIRECTOR, AUSTIN BOARD OF RE ALTORS

• KUPER SOTHEBY’S PRESIDENT’S CLUB MEMBER

• AUSTIN BUSINESS JOURNAL NOMINEE - RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

512.426.186

KACY.DOLCE@KUPERSIR.COM

KACYDOLCE.KUPERREALTY.COM

Make-A-Wish’s Wish Ball All About Making Wishes Come True

Friends, family and supporters of Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas put on their dancing shoes and made wishes shine bright on Saturday, February 11th at Wish Ball 2023! The gala, held at the Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt, was chaired by Wish Parents Jessica and Jeff Benesch, who have been strong supporters of the local chapter ever since moving to Austin from the Bay area.

Donors, volunteers, wish kids and their families dressed the part for the disco-themed event and took Austin back to the glory days of the seventies.

Attendees enjoyed a groove-filled cocktail hour before the doors to the ballroom swung open for a night of all things wishes. Trevor Scott, host of CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin” was joined by Wish Kid Matthew as emcees.

Stories of the impact of a wish on a child facing a critical illness were abundant. Wish Kid Daysia beautifully shared her story of why she wished to create a documentary about her life and rare critical illness, dermatopolymyositis. Wish Kid Julia and her parent’s shared about Julia’s diagnosis of Trisomy 18. Julia’s wish to write a book, Julia’s Like Me, was revealed with the surprise showing of the completed book cover.

Three-year-old Wish Kid Noah’s video kickedoff the Paddles Up portion of the night for the live auction. Noah and his family were in the audience as the story of Noah’s congenital heart-defect and upcoming transplant filled the room with an emotional silence – until Noah, from the back of the room, addressed the crowd to everyone’s delight. Guests were then invited to hit the dance floor where everyone boogied until the final song, Donna Summer’s Last Dance. The money raised from Wish Ball 2023 is already working to grant the wishes of the nearly 500 children currently waiting for a lifechanging wish. To learn more or make a donation to help give the gift of a wish, visit www.cstx.wish.org.

Relaxed Elegance Relaxed

Make-A-Wish Volunteers at the Heart of Every Wish Experience

Volunteers at Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas make it possible to transform kids’ lives through wishes. Volunteers are at the heart of every wish experience.

Meet Wish Parents Jessica and Jeff Benesch, who have been strong supporters of the local chapter ever since moving to Austin from the Bay area. They recently chaired Wish Ball 2023, and now those funds are already working to grant the wishes of the nearly 500 children currently waiting for a life-changing wish.

Jeff is on the Board of Directors for Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas.

Supporting Make-A-Wish is a family mission for Jeff, his wife Jessica, and their three children Sam (Wish Kid), Julian, and Grace. Jessica helped with the auctions for the last four Make-A-Wish Galas. Her son Sam’s wish was a pivotal event in her family’s life, and she’s passionate about helping other children with critical illnesses receive the transformative experience of a wish.

Through the founding of Westlake for Wishes and as a rappeller at Over the Edge, Sam has personally raised

more than $100,000 to grant local wishes. He now attends the University of Texas and interns with Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas, consistently wishing it forward alongside his family.

“Volunteering with MakeA-Wish is incredibly rewarding because you know that every minute you spend - from wish granting to art parties to fundraising events - will help make a wish come true for a critically ill child from our own community,” says Jessica.

“You are directly impacting a family’s life at a time when they need it most!”

Volunteer opportunities at Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas:

• Wish granters

• Airport greeters

• Translator/Interpreter

• Office volunteer

• Speaker’s Bureau volunteer

• Special events volunteer

• For more information about volunteering or to make a donation, visit www.cstx. wish.org.

MAKE-A-WISH’S WISH BALL

CASAblanca Gala Funds Will Provide Advocates with Specialized Training

Nearly 900 Austinites gathered at the JW Marriott Austin on Saturday, February 4th for CASA of Travis County’s annual gala, CASAblanca. This was the 30th anniversary of the gala, which raises awareness and crucial funds needed for children who have experienced abuse or neglect.

Gala Committee cochairs were Keri Walling and Michael Ward. The event raised a record-breaking $1.95 million to continue providing specialized training for community volunteers who advocate for these children in schools, in court, and in the community. The evening included a live and silent auction, DJ, VIP pre-party, casino games, and the powerful stories of children in our community and the volunteers who advocate for them.

Created in 1985, CASA of Travis County is now one of the top 10 CASA programs in the nation, supporting more than 800 volunteers who advocate for more than 1,400 children a year. For more information, visit www. casatravis.org.

26th Annual Brandy Perryman Shooting Camp

During the basketball season, if you walk into a local gym, you will most likely find a coach focusing his/her team on the offense or defense for the upcoming game. How often does the average basketball player focus on individual skills during that time? Not much!

For obvious reasons, the focus during the season is on the team rather than the individual. That’s why the summertime is the best time for an aspiring player to improve his/her own skills. Particularly the lost art of shooting.

Brandy Perryman knows a thing or two about shooting. His record 90% free throw shooting average during his 4-year career at The University of Texas still stands. He is also ranked 5th for 3 pointers made in Longhorn basketball history. Those 43 camps he attended as a child must have paid off. They are still paying off as Perryman prepares for his 18th annual Brandy Perryman Shooting Camp in the Austin area,

teaching boys and girls ages 7-16 the lost art of shooting.

BPSC is a 4-day shooting intense basketball camp mirrored after all the camps Perryman attended and enjoyed the most as a kid. He has taken those camps with his combined playing experience and created an upbeat, positive experience for Austin area youth.

All camps include 32 hours of instruction, which is approximately the same amount of time as a month of practice in Middle School or a full season of a youth league. Daily team competitions are the highlight of the week, allowing kids to be a part of a team with no pressure and to have fun.

To promote self-

esteem and selfdiscipline, BPSC includes individualized drills and competitions throughout the camp that all campers have an opportunity to excel at and improve their shooting skills. An average camper shoots over 1,000 shots over 4 days at BPSC.

The 10:1 camper to coach ratio allows campers to develop skills in a small group. These coaches include head coaches, assistant coaches, collegiates, and former players that all share the knowledge and enthusiasm required to be a BPSC camp instructor.

By instructing 16,000 campers over the past 25 summers, BPSC has gained a reputation as the premier basketball camp in Central Texas.

BPSC 2023 Camp Dates

Camp Balcones Springs - Right-Sized for Safety, Fun, and Lasting Impact

For the past 30 years, Camp Balcones Springs has welcomed thousands of campers to its stunning campgrounds in the Texas Hill Country.

Camp Balcones

Springs is a small, relationship-oriented camp where campers have the chance to feel fully integrated, known, and a part of the overall camp community. Camp

Balcones Springs strives to create a unique environment that encourages campers in who they are while also challenging them to take risks and step outside

CAMP BALCONES SPRINGS STRIVES TO CREATE A UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOURAGES CAMPERS IN WHO THEY ARE....

of their comfort zones -- a combination that boosts camper selfesteem and makes camp a memorable, often life-

changing experience.

For the past three summers, Camp Balcones Springs has operated safely and successfully, offering fresh air, friendship, and a schedule of diverse

and fun activities on its beautiful 250-acre property, complete with air-conditioned cabins. Camp Balcones Springs looks forward to celebrating a safe

and healthy return to camping this summer.. For information on Camp Balcones Springs and our programming, visit www.campiscool. com.

Camp Balcones Springs is a Sports and Adventure Camp based in the Texas Hill Country. With innovative programming, a youthful staff, and an ever-changing offering of attractions and activities. CBS gets better year after year! Camp Balcones Springs aims to change people’s lives through relationships, spiritual impact, and fun. CBS provides a one-of-a kind camp experience while making friends and memories that will last a lifetime!

To learn more or to reserver your spot call or visit our website!

830-693-CAMP www.campiscool.com.

St. Gabriel’s offers summer camps

This summer, students will explore, create, grow, imagine, and problem-solve in St. Gabriel’s Catholic School Summer Programs, available to Central Texas kids in Pre-K through 8th grade.

STEAM SUMMER CAMP

Available to Pre-K 4 to 4th grade students throughout Central Texas, STEAM Summer Camp has weekly themes including “STEAM World Passport,” “STEAM in Space,” and “Spy Training Academy.” Students will engage in age-appropriate challenges in the d.Lab for Making, St. Gabriel’s stateof-the-art, first-of-its-kind makerspace.

TINY SABERS CAMP

Pre-K 3 focused camp will have age-appropriate STEAM activities, intentional developmental tasks working to achieve Pre-K 3 classroom readiness, familiarity with a classroom structure and schedule, and allowing St. Gabriel’s youngest Tiny Sabers to become comfortable with the school campus.

Tiny Sabers Camp and the schedule the little ones follow has been designed with input from St. Gabriel’s Early Childhood experts and will be a fun introduction to the school experience. Tiny Sabers Camp has a morning and afternoon option, including an afternoon rest. A lunch provided option is also available. Participating students must be potty trained.

ACADEMIC CAMPS

Gear Up for Math and Gear Up for Writing take place the week of July 24 to help students fight off the “summer slide” and start the school year off right. This camp is available to grades K to 8.

ATHLETIC CAMPS

Week-long athletic camps are available in June and July for lacrosse, basketball, tennis, cheer, volleyball, soccer, and baseball with details at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School website, sgs-austin.org

Full-day extended care is available for both morning and afternoon offerings.

First Tee-Greater Austin

At First Tee – Greater Austin, golf coaches are Building Game Changers by empowering kids and teens to be the best version of themselves.

“I enjoy seeing the kids in our program getting introduced to golf and being excited about the sport,” said First Tee youth programs manager Charles Neel White, “but it’s the big smiles after a good shot and the high fives that is really rewarding to me.”

By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with character-building, First Tee and its coaches create learning experiences that help kids uncover their inner strength, selfconfidence, and resilience that they can carry to everything they do.

Experienced coaches not only provide an introduction to junior golf and an

opportunity to enhance golf skills, but they also create a safe, supportive, and empowering environment to help children prepare for life ahead, including friendships, school, college and even their careers.

At First Tee kids will learn skills that stay with

Dive into Summer with CAMP TRINITY

JUNE 5-9 AND JUNE 12-16

Camp Trinity is open to kids entering grades K-8. Our Adventure, STEAM, and Theme camps are sure to spark interest and engage the adventurous. We have 20 morning and afternoon camps to choose from, such as All About LEGOs, Babysitters Boot Camp, Enchanted Forest, Calligraphy, and Pop-Pop Boat! Each week campers enjoy our Splash Bash celebration with water slides, music, and games. Trinity’s stellar faculty lead our amazing camps, which are open to kids from Austin and beyond!

Our campus features June and July programs with other popular third-party camps serving kids from age 3 through High School: Kidventure’s Camp Blue House, i-9 Sports, Neuron Garage, Badgerdog Creative Writing, and Camp Paramount. Learn more about summer programs at Trinity Episcopal School at www.austintrinity.org/summer

them for life:

• Understanding and managing emotions

• Resolving conflicts

• Setting up step-by-step goals

• Planning for the future

• Appreciating diversity

• Golf fundamentals and advanced techniques

Badgerdog Writing Workshops

Each spring break and summer, Badgerdog hosts writing workshops for rising third graders through high school seniors. These fun and challenging writing workshops allow students to work closely with a professional writer as they explore the arts of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and playwriting. All campers experience the joy of reading, writing, and sharing their original work.

At the end of the summer, all three-week summer camp students will have their work published in one of two professionally produced anthologies -- Rise, for

elementary-aged writers; and Emerge, for middle- and highschool writers.

In the fall, Badgerdog hosts a Young Authors Reading & Anthology Launch, where selected campers perform their work and celebrate the launch of the anthologies. All summer camp writers are invited to attend.

Each online workshop meets daily, Monday through Friday, for an hour and a half to read, write, and share together via Zoom. These workshops will be capped at 15 students per workshop. Campers use Google Drive to upload their work and receive

feedback from their teaching artist as they move through the editing and revision process. Access to Zoom and Google Drive will be necessary in order to participate.

For more than 10 years, Badgerdog’s Creative Writing Summer Camp has given Austin youth a space to fall in love with writing, discover authentic self-expression, learn from a professional writer, and publish original work. Parents say Badgerdog helps kids and teens write with greater skill, comfort, and enthusiasm. Campers say Badgerdog helps them find confidence and play in the writing process.

Badgerdog Creative Writing Summer Camps

Summer programs for 3rd-12th graders that inspire a love of reading and writing, strengthen language skills, and exercise creativity. Camps run JuneAugust at several locations in Austin. Register today at austinlibrary.org!