The award was presented Tuesday night to Jean Willers by Randy Owens, now 27, who was the inspiration for Challenged Child, a program which serves young children with developmental disabilities.
Challenged Child had its birth in 1981 when Owens, then two years old, was struck and seriously injured by a car - suffering severe brain injuries.
Willers was a friend of the Owens family and after visiting with them following the accident, according Kiwanian Eddie Hartness in announcing this year's winner, the wheels were set in motion for creation of a program to serve such youngsters.
It began as a three-day-a-week program, called "special child," meeting at First Baptist Church on Green Street, which the Owens family attended. Today, it is now on its second campus, treats over 200 children, has a staff of 69, and operates on a budget of more than one million dollars a year.
Hartness said Willers "not only serves children that attend the program, but also provides therapy-only services to children in the community," adding, "(her) greatest contribution to the community is her compassion, her caring, and her commitment to those children among us who have special needs."
http://accesswdun.com/article/2007/4/91139