Debbie Joseph of Wheeling brings an attitude of gratitude to everything she does when it comes to Easterseals Rehabilitation Center.
On Tuesday, June 2, Easterseals is showing its appreciation in return by dedicating a new bench at the Wheeling Splash Pad in honor of Debbie and her 40-plus years of helping children with disabilities served by Easterseals.
“I was just so grateful when our daughter Kristen was born,” Joseph said of her and husband Dr. Daniel Joseph’s oldest daughter, Kristen Cox of Wheeling. “I decided I wanted to show my gratitude by helping the children and families served by Easterseals, so I started volunteering at the center. I would get down on the floor and play with the kids and help the therapists in any way they needed.”
Two years later, she became pregnant with triplets. For safety’s sake, Debbie’s obstetrician put an end to her “rolling around on the floor” with kids. The next few years were “a blur,” but once the triplets were toddlers, Easterseals’ then-Executive Director Rosemary Front called Debbie to fill an opening on the board of directors. Getting out of the house for a while sounded like a good idea to Debbie at the time.
That was 40 years ago, and Debbie still serves on the board as secretary. She also is an Easterseals parent and grandparent, whose children and a grandchild received services.
When Debbie and Dan took up the hobby of vintage boat racing and founded the Wheeling Vintage Raceboat Regatta, Debbie said it was a “no-brainer” to donate event proceeds to Easteseals.
Over the event’s 16 years, the regatta donated more than $115,000 to Easterseals.
“Few people have had the lasting impact on Easterseals that Debbie Joseph has. Through the Wheeling Vintage Raceboat Regatta and her decades of service on our board of directors, Debbie helped create opportunities for thousands of children to receive healthcare they might not otherwise have received. We are incredibly grateful for her unwavering commitment to our mission,” Easterseals President and CEO Eric Filberto said.
“I am genuinely overwhelmed at having a bench dedicated in my name and Dan’s at Heritage Port,” Debbie said. “Easterseals has taught me that every person deserves to be seen, supported, celebrated and included. This bench really represents every child who kept going when it was hard and every staff member who showed up with their whole heart to support them. It is a true honor to receive this recognition from an organization that has been such an important part of my life.”
This is the second bench Easterseals has donated to the city’s splash pad. Easterseals earned both benches for free from the Trex Community Recycling Program, which awarded a bench for each 1,000 pounds of plastic bags collected in a year.
“Thanks to our staff, community members, and the Ohio County Virtual Lions Club, which facilitated the recycling project, we turned in 1 ton of plastic to Trex in two years, earning a bench each year,” Easterseals marketing and development director Betsy Bethel-McFarland said.
“The first bench was dedicated to our beloved medical director Dr. Ellen Kitts, who retired last year. We wanted to honor Debbie’s long-time commitment to Easterseals and the Wheeling Vintage Raceboat Regatta with a bench at Wheeling Heritage Port, the former site of the regatta,” Bethel-McFarland said.
Debbie and Dan passed the regatta torch to the New Martinsville Vintage Regatta, which moved its established event from July to Labor Day weekend, which is when the Wheeling event was held. As part of the hand-off, New Martinsville also has agreed to share proceeds with Easterseals.
Eastereals staff and board members, Wheeling city officials, Lions Club representatives and Debbie’s family have been invited to the dedication ceremony.
The bench was installed just in time for Easterseals’ new fundraising event from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 7, at Wheeling Heritage Port. The second annual Ohio River Splashtacular includes two water ski shows on the river, water- and science-related children’s activities, a grand prize raffle, basket raffle, food trucks, and more.
