2023 ACEing Autism Award Winners

We are excited to announce our 2023 ACEing Autism Award winners! We want to congratulate everyone on a fantastic year and we look forward to an even better one.

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR:

Akron, OH: Congratulations to Akron for being ACEing Autism’s Program of the Year in 2023! Program Directors Katie Orlando and Tammy Simone, along with their team of volunteers, have built a warm and supportive environment where all of their athletes can actively engage and enjoy the sport of tennis. In 2023, Akron ran seven separate sessions for a total of 42 hours of adaptive tennis. Additionally, Akron has been one of our pioneer sites introducing adult programming.

PARENT SATISFACTION:

Buffalo, NY; Flushing Meadows, NY: Two programs stood apart from the rest on our Parent Satisfaction surveys. Congratulations to two of our New York locations, Buffalo and Flushing Meadows. Nearly every parent reported being extremely satisfied with the program, finding a meaningful activity for their child, a community they belong to, and people to share resources with.

VOLUNTEER SURVEY RESPONSE RATE:

McKinney, TX: Shout out to McKinney, TX for outstanding feedback from the Volunteer Survey. Volunteers reported finding it rewarding to see their athletes accomplish a new skill, sharing their passion for the sport of tennis, and working with/learning more about the athletes and their families.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Weston, FL: Congratulations to our Weston, FL program for consistently posting on their social media account, using their creativity to show the different facets of their program, and enticing their audience to come back to their account. They have used different features to tell their stories and have developed a sizable audience thanks to that.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION:

Burbank, CA; Pittsburgh, PA; and NW Washington, DC: While we only award one program as Program of the Year, we want to recognize three additional programs for their excellence on and off the court. All three embody all of the things that our organization values: promoting fun, exercise, and socialization through the sport of tennis.