Tournament brings kids with autism together!
Thirteen-year old Shyam Contractor is on a mission to help kids like him, with autism, get the mental health care they need. “Georgia ranks fifth from the bottom in the U.S.,” says Shyam, a straight-A student. “I got help for severe depression and bullying, and want others to improve like I did.”
When he told his mom that he wanted to give back, the two came up with Happy Kids Tournaments, a nonprofit that stages events. The first, a basketball tournament in June for kids 5-17, featured shoot-a-thons, three-on-three games, $750 in prize money and swag bags. “We blew up our expectations,” he says. “Our goal was $2,000, but we tripled it by raising $6,128 and donated 100% to CHRIS 180.” The Atlanta-based behavioral health organization has been helping kids and adults overcome trauma for more than 40 years.
Shyam, who lives in Sandy Springs with his mom and 9-year old brother, recruited sponsors by writing them individual letters. Shift 3 Basketball, Edward Jones, Atlanta Hand Specialists, Farm Burger and OTP Basketball all stepped up. So did Netflix star Connor Tomlinson from “Love on the Spectrum” who came to support the players and promised to make promo videos with Shyam to promote future tennis or chess tournaments.
HAPPY KIDS TOURNAMENTS
happykidstournaments.org
@dhruti.contractor
