Austin Gutwein

Austin Gutwein is an amazing person. Austin shot free throws and started an organization to helps children that are orphaned due to AIDS. He found out when he was fourteen. He watched a video about AIDS and that was when he realized that he wanted to make a difference. Austin also had a pen pal in Africa that helped him realize that we have more than them.

AIDS is a disease caused by HIV. HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus. If you get infected with HIV your body will try to fight the infection and it will make "antibodies", special molecules to fight HIV. Some kids wake up and their parents are dead because of AIDS. So they (the kids) have to take care of their siblings.

Austin shot free throws to raise money. On World AIDS Day, Austin shot 2057 free throws to represent the 2057 kids that would be orphaned during his day at school. On that day Austin raised $3000. Friends, family, and people he had never met before donated money. "This is something I realized that if you do the littlest thing you can make a difference and that's what I'm trying to do" said Austin.

Austin started an organization called Hoops of Hope. He went around the United States, encouraging kids to raise money. "It's a problem that most kids think can't be helped but we can do a little and that's what a lot of people saw" said Austin. He wanted to build a school/orphanage in Africa and that's just what he did.

Over the past nine years, Hoops of Hope has raised over $3 million. Hoops of Hope is on a mission to help the kids in Africa and provide shelter, food, and care for them. Austin began his organization by shooting free throws for donations and is now able to help the orphans that have lost their parents due to AIDS. Austin is not only the kids' hero, he is my hero.