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Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center raised over $5,700 at the annual Art Show and Auction

Written by Heather Witt

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Clinical CareEducation
The center is named for Rachel Kay Stevens, an Occupational Therapy student who died shortly after beginning the OT program in the College of Health Professions at the University of Tennessee of Health Science Center, to honor her memory and passion for helping children.

The Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center recently raised more than $5,700 at its sixth-annual Art Show and Auction, surpassing their original fundraising goal of $4,000. The funds raised will be used to support the student-run pro-bono therapy center, which provides occupational therapy services to children who would not otherwise be able to afford services.

The auction featured 100 art items created and donated by local children and several community artists, including: Jennifer Burford, NJ Woods, Whitney Winkler, Dana Shoops, Morgan Harrington, Shelby Wimberly, Shannon Hughes, Josh Breeden, Hillary Talley, Sica Robyn, Tiffany Traw, and Chris McCarter.

The art show and auction included art pieces created and donated by local artists and children in the community who receive occupational therapy services.

Since the Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center opened its doors in 2016, it has served more than 500 children, as well as providing training and support to parents, teachers, and UTHSC Occupational Therapy students.

The Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center is the only clinic in the Mid-South providing occupational therapy services at no cost to uninsured or underinsured children.

Occupational Therapy Department Chair Anne Zachry, PhD, OTL/R, said, “There are so many families and children who would benefit from occupational therapy services, but they are unable to access these services due to lack of insurance coverage or high co-payments. By participating in the Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center Art Show & Auction, members of our community are helping many families access these much-needed services at no cost.”

The mission of the Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center is to educate future practitioners and empower underserved families through the provision of educational and healthcare services.

Now in its sixth year, the Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center Art Show and Auction has raised more than $15,000 to provide occupational therapy services to underinsured and uninsured Tennessee children.