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A
longtime horse lover, Teresa Wilhelm
called the dream of T.H.E. Center a
“lifelong ambition and a constant
nagging obsession”.
In 1984, with one student - Lydia Genders
- and two horses, five acres of weeds, a
handful of volunteers and friend Leslie
Taylor, Teresa’s lifelong dream became a
reality. Teresa and Leslie both held down
full time jobs and gave individual riding
lessons to physically and mentally
disabled children and adults after work
and on weekends.
Due to Teresa’s tenacity and the
dedication and generosity of the
community, by 1997 the weeds were gone,
T.H.E. Center had 10 horses, a tackroom, a
large riding arena and served 100 students
each week. Sadly, that same year Teresa
was forced to step down as executive
director to battle breast cancer, which
ultimately took her life in May 2002.
Today, thanks to the kindness and on-going
support from the community, Teresa’s
dream lives on and T.H.E. Center has
provided physical therapy, exercise,
recreation to over 1,900 handi-capable
children and adults in a safe,
professional, and nurturing environment.
Teresa gave selflessly of herself and
taught her students that there are no
disabilities, just challenges. She heard
an autistic child utter their first word,
she provided unimaginable joy and a
quality of life that many may never have
known.
To honor Teresa Wilhelm, T.H.E. Center is
proud to announce the Teresa
Wilhelm Memorial Scholarship Fund.
This fund will help defray the cost of
lessons for those who cannot afford them,
and ultimately allow for the expansion of
T.H.E. Center programs.... and keep
Teresa’s dream alive. |
