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Former Buckeye athletes coming to Boardman to support ex-teacher battling ALS
BOARDMAN
Two years ago, Christine Terlesky penned an open thank-you letter to the Mahoning Valley community for its support during her battle with ALS.
“I understand that I get to see the best in humanity. I understand that there is NOTHING more important than people and love,” she wrote after a community spaghetti dinner in her honor.
Gratitude is a sentiment that Terlesky – a wife and mother of three, former Boardman coach and teacher, and daughter of area basketball coach Ron Moschella – is still eager to express today, 21/2 years since her diagnosis.
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
“I just want to say how grateful I am that the community hasn’t forgotten about our family. We could never repay what Youngstown has given back to us, and we’ll be forever grateful for that,” Terlesky told The Vindicator this week. “I think it’s why we chose to live in Youngstown, because Youngstown always believes in family. I’m happy my kids will get to grow up in this type of atmosphere.”
This time, Terlesky was speaking about a fundraiser for her that will bring a group of former Ohio State athletes – Terence Dials, Troy Smith, Kirk Barton, Anthony Schlegel, Bobby Carpenter, Matt Wilhelm, Chris “Beanie” Wells, Dustin Fox and Scoonie Penn – to Boardman High School next Saturday for “Team Talk: A Fan Forum.”
The nine participants are part of Varsity Partners, an organization of former athletes dedicated to giving back to communities, fans and the universities that helped them succeed. The event is sponsored by Drund, 21 WFMJ-TV and The Vindicator.
The fundraiser is the first for Varsity Partners. The organization approached Terlesky about it because Dials, a Boardman graduate and recent inductee into OSU’s Athletic Hall of Fame, wanted to support someone from his hometown.
“Personally, this area has given so much to me, and it is an honor to give back with the help of my fellow Buckeyes,” Dials said in a release. “We hope this event delivers an experience that connects Buckeye fans in the community with us in a memorable way, while supporting a special individual and her family in their time of need.”
For the $30 cost of a ticket, those who attend will get the chance to meet and get autographs from the athletes, as well as participate in a roundtable discussion moderated by Dials. Fans also can enter raffles for one-of-a-kind Buckeye memorabilia such as a helmet signed by coach Urban Meyer from OSU’s first-ever blackout game last season (in which players wore all-black uniforms).
Tickets are available at www.varsitypartners.org/tickets. The purchasing page features an option to share information via social media for a $5 discount.
Coming from a family of Buckeye fans, Terlesky said it’s especially exciting to be part of the Varsity Partners event. She also is excited about the chance to promote awareness of ALS.
“I think this is going to be another opportunity for people to know about the disease and how it works, and basically [that] there’s not a cure yet so we’re still fighting for that cure,” she said.