Theresa
Once upon a time there was a little girl who had a pink wheelchair. She had big brown eyes, fabulous pig tails, and the greatest smile on earth. Every day she would go to school in a small yellow bus. Theresa and her friends would work very hard at school as it did not come easy. Their favorite part of the day was recess because they got to play on the playground. Theresa loved motion, music and being outside.
The Theresa Foundation
When Theresa died, her family and friends established the Theresa Foundation to help children like Theresa. In her short lifetime, she was an inspiration to anyone who met her. In her memory, the Foundation supports music, dance, art and recreation programs locally and all over the country. In 2018, the Foundation gave over $65,000 in grants to the Theresa Academy of Performing Arts and organizations, locally and around the country, which provided programs for children with special needs.
Theresa's Fun Place: A Playground and Park
In 2003, in a collaborative effort with Cerebral Palsy Nassau County, the Foundation renovated and rejuvenated the playground with the latest adaptive equipment so that hundreds of children can enjoy the playground each day. That playground was then renamed Theresa’s Fun Place. As the years went on and hundreds of children experienced the joy of this playground, time took it’s toll and the playground was in dire need of renovations and repair. Since 2017, the Foundation has granted over $175,000 towards the much-needed revitalization. Theresa’s Fun Place is now able to once again serve 240 children on a daily basis with a brand-new, state-of-the-art, fully adaptive playground!
The Theresa Academy of Performing Arts
The Theresa Academy of Performing Arts provides music, art, dance and recreation programs in the schools and agencies serving children with special needs. In 2018, TAPA reformed the program to expand the number of children who could benefit from the arts. Since September 2018, the newly formulated “[email protected],” has provided funding for over 1,200 students on Long Island and around the country.