Austin hopes smile wins over loving family

With the press of every button and burst of flash, 13-year-old Austin gets his image splashed on a nearby photographer's monitor.

"Let me see," Austin said, with a chuckle.

"No, no - not yet," the photographer said.

Another round of photos, and Austin just can't keep a straight face. His electric smile and infectious laugh has the photographer and crew grinning from ear to ear. At this shoot, he's comfortable and relaxed, even though he knows his photo will be seen by tens of thousands of people across the Valley.

Austin is the face of a new campaign promoting awareness of foster care and adoption, as presented by Aid to Adoption of Special Kids (AASK) and local Wendy's restaurants.

"He's not afraid to put himself out there in hopes of finding a family," said Amanda Lennberg, a Wendy's Wonderful Kids recruiter. "He lights up in front of the camera, he's energetic, and he loves to entertain."

As his foster care recruiter, Lennberg has developed a bond with Austin. When Wendy's began its search for the right foster child to feature on this poster, Amanda's call went to Austin.

"I told him we needed a good-looking and pretty cool kid," she said.

"He (Austin) put on this really cool kid voice and said, 'You know, Amanda, I think this is something I can do for you.' "

While some foster children might feel awkward or embarrassed to avail themselves to media recruitment, Austin embraced it. He has been open to sharing his thoughts and feelings through the media.

During an interview last fall, Austin sketched his ideal family. He penciled a mother, father, brothers and sisters, all of them wearing football jerseys. When asked about the jerseys, he said his ideal family would be in the stands, cheering for him at his games.

Austin is an avid sports fan and has his NFL and NBA idols. When he isn't talking sports, he can be found playing them. Football and basketball are among his favorites.

Austin eagerly awaits a family to call his own and has grown tired of living in a foster home. He hopes that being a part of this promotional campaign will help him find a permanent home.

Wendy's has teamed with AASK to raise awareness of children in need of loving and caring families. In December, Austin's poster will be on display in ValleyWendy's restaurants. This campaign is one of several vehicles that Wendy's and AASK plan to use in generating exposure for foster children.

At the end of the session, Austin and the photographer combed through the best photos.

"That is pretty cool photo," Austin said.

"I love that shot, and I love that one," the photographer said.

Collectively, the decision was made, and this photo shoot concluded the way it began - with smiles all around.

To view which photo made the cut, visit one of the 83 participating Valley Wendy's restaurants during the month.

Be sure to watch Austin's Wednesday's Child segment at 5 a.m. and 1 p.m. today on Channel 12 (KPNX). For more information on Austin, or to learn more about adoption and foster care opportunities, call Aid to Adoption of Special Kids (AASK) at 602-254-2275, or visit www.aask-az.org.

Austin has been open to sharing his thoughts and feelings through the media.