| Membership level: Hall of Fame Richard "Dick" Flesher Inductee Year 2008 |  |
| Following more than 25 years as a successful teacher and coach at Hinsdale Central, Dick has unselfishly devoted his retirement years, and his considerable energies, to helping schools affected by Hurricane Katrina. His long teaching career at Hinsdale Central, following seven years at a neighboring high school, included teaching courses in Russian and Asian history. His coaching career at Central included the girls soccer program, which he started in 1983, and culminated in third place in the State High School girls tournament 1988-89. Dick also coached Hinsdale’s boys soccer team and was a basketball coach. He was heavily involved, and had a leadership role, in the teachers association at Hinsdale Central where he mentored and guided many of the new Central teachers. While still at Central, Dick began his assistance to victims of natural disasters, coordinating and lending assistance to hurricane victims in Latin America and to earthquake victims in Asia. Three years ago, Dick founded Schools Count Corporation, which has provided more than $1.4 million of relief, goods and school supplies to affected areas of Mississippi and Louisiana -- helping more than 35 schools. Dick often personally drives truckloads of supplies to the stricken areas, and has met with federal officials about the devastation. His company has partnered with AmeriCorps, and Dick hopes to expand support to schools in other regions of the country suffering from the effects of poverty, natural disasters and other destabilizing events. Dick now lives in Willowbrook, not far from the institution he served so well. |
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