Teri Larice uses the words, "Why not?" frequently when describing how she became increasingly involved in volunteering since moving to Morgan Hill 17 years ago.
Larice, 59, is the 2010 Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year.
She started volunteering for programs at Paradise Valley Elementary School on La Crosse Drive. That was easy for her, as she and her family, including three sons, lived across the street from the campus.
Having left the workforce upon moving to Morgan Hill, Larice quickly learned that she enjoyed volunteering in the community.
"When you volunteer, you do what you want to do," Larice said.
Her volunteer service started with local Cub Scouts, when her son came home from school one morning excited about the program as it was presented in a flyer that was distributed on campus.
Larice enrolled her son in Cub Scouts, thinking she would only be attending meetings as a parent. But she ended up serving as the local Den leader.
"My involvement came from the activities surrounding what my children were doing. I wanted them to be good citizens," Larice said.
In the following years, she has participated in a number of projects coordinated by the city, including the annual Fourth of July celebration when it was held at Britton Middle School.
Recently, Larice has been instrumental in forming adaptive sports programs for people with disabilities. Inspired by her son, who has Down's Syndrome and enjoys playing sports, it was her idea to start a local bowling league for special needs citizens, and build an adaptive baseball program for Morgan Hill Pony Baseball last year. Those were so successful that she decided to start a similar program for Orchard Valley Youth Soccer in the fall.
"I thought if we could do this for baseball, why not for soccer?" Larice said.
She said both programs have been beneficial for both the athletes, who can now participate in sports safely, and their parents, who have the opportunity to watch their children play on organized teams.
Plus, Larice found out earlier this month that the national Pony Baseball league wants to add an adaptive option similar to the local one to its program.
Larice's ideas for adaptive sports, which were warmly welcomed by those in charge of the youth organizations, snowballed into non-athletic recreational programs. For example, she worked with the Centennial Recreation Center to organize a dance for special needs citizens last year.
Susan Fent, director of Senior Programs and the CRC, nominated Larice for the Salute award because of the volunteer hours she has put in at the senior center.
"In the senior center, she is committed to making sure the seniors have the best quality care, and she's able to connect with the seniors in such a way that they feel comfortable," Fent said.
Michael Moore Michael Moore covers county and law enforcement issues for the Morgan Hill Times. Reach him at (408) 779-4106, ext. 202, or mmoore@morganhilltimes.com.
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