Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/526269
photography by bruce r. Wahl (kids) dyslexia. "That is a very disturbing emotion, to real- ize that you don't fit in," he says. "There is a shame hierarchy where people who are illiterate or have difficulty reading are on the same plateau as people who've survived incest." Bragonier found ways to keep up with his high school peers, like studying through the night, and was accepted into Bates College, which did not require SAT scores—"my Achilles' heel," he says. At age 23, after experiencing the high of g radu- at ing f rom college a nd t he low of watching his father die of cancer, Bragonier moved to Martha's Vineyard. He studied Buddhism to cope with his grief and bought the Cottage City Bakeshop and Café, which he rena med The A mit y in a nod to family friend and Jaws author Peter Benchley. "The inherent limitations that my dyslexia afforded me applied direct ly to t he ent repreneur sphere," he says. Bragonier's disability forced him to learn the business and his clientele in ways that others don't. "When you can't accumulate knowledge quickly by reading," he explains, "you begin to rely heavily on obser vat ion," a llow ing him to a nt icipate t he needs of patrons and staff. It's a skill set he wants to share with young dys- lexics through NoticeAbility, which is developing experiential learning curricula for middle-school st udent s w it h dyslex ia. R at her t ha n t radit iona l classroom lectures, student s lea r n v ia ha nds- on practice in disciplines including entrepreneurship, architecture, engineering, and the narrative arts. T he lessons a re aug mented w it h tea m-building exercises that increase much-needed self-esteem. Bragonier aims to raise $100,000 to design the first curriculum—by swimming with sharks. To get in wave- crushing shape, he connected with swim coaches at Bates, who drafted a training routine. And he joined the formidable Cambridge Ma sters Sw im Club. "T hey k ill it in t he water," Bragon ier says. "T hey have speeds I ca n on ly dream of, and they're older than me." He plans to swim two miles a day and will consult tide charts a nd "a ll t he sa lt iest dogs" he k nows for adv ice. T hat i ncludes Dr. Gregor y Skoma l, t he st ate's senior marine fisheries biologist and a noted shark expert. "I asked, 'Greg, how do I not get eaten?'" Bragonier recalls with a laugh. He was told to avoid daw n, dusk, a nd sea l populat ions. Skoma l a lso advised him that great white sharks have an aver- sion to water depths of six feet or less. Shrugging off the potential danger, Bragonier says, "A dyslexic who goes to school every day has far more courage than someone who gets in the water with sharks." noticeability.org BC Dean Bragonier working with kids with dyslexia through his nonprofit organization, NoticeAbility. below: At the Harvard pool, Bragonier prepares for his epic swim around Martha's Vineyard. Charity register Opportunities to give. Massachusetts General hospital What: Do-gooders will have a chance to score at Fenway Park as part of Run to Home Base, a nine-kilometer race and two-mile walk through Cambridge and the Back Bay, with the stadium's home plate as the fnish line. Raising awareness and funds to help post-9/11 veterans and their families through wellness programs at Mass General Hospital, the event has collected $11 million to date in partnership with the Red Sox Foundation and hopes to top the $2 million raised last year. runtohomebase.org When: July 25, 8 am Where: Fenway Park, 4 Yawkey Way pan-Mass challenGe What: Bike along one of 12 different routes across the state during the 36th annual Pan- Mass Challenge, in which cyclists will raise money for the Jimmy Fund for cancer research. More than 5,500 riders participated in 2014, 300 of whom were cancer patients or survivors. The Challenge raises more money than any other athletic charity event in the US and hopes this year to reach its goal of $45 million. pmc.org When: August 1–2 Where: Three starting locations, in Sturbridge, Bourne, and Wellesley tanGlewood Music center What: The Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer music academy will host the Tanglewood Music Center 75th Anniversary Gala. The organizers hope to raise at least $360,000 this year to support Tanglewood's summer programs. The event will feature a dinner, concert, and afterparty for benefactors, with performances by the TMC Orchestra, led by Andris Nelsons, the BSO's music director. The concert will feature Mahler's Symphony No. 8 (Symphony of a Thousand). bso.org When: August 8, 5 pm Where: Tanglewood Music Center, 297 West St., Lenox Boston pops on nantucket What: The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra sets up its music stands on Nantucket this summer for its 18th annual concert to beneft the Nantucket Cottage Hospital. Conductor Keith Lockhart will be joined by a special guest host. Guests can purchase a tent with dinner service, or fnd a spot to picnic on the beach. The event raised $3 million last year and aims to reach that goal again this year. nantuckethospital.org When: August 8, 7 pm Where: Jetties Beach "to realize that you don't fit in is a very disturbing emotion." —dean bragonier bostoncommon-magazine.com 65