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WHEELING — The Horne family of Wheeling has assured that a first-class tennis facility will always be located at Oglebay Park, allowing children and adults to hone their skills and develop their character.
With longtime Wheeling residents Fred and Audrey Horne and their four children — Amy, Bob, David, Pam — and extended family and friends in attendance, members of the Oglebay Foundation and Wheeling Park Commission on Saturday honored the family by officially dedicating the Horne Family Tennis Center at Oglebay
"Through perpetuity, the Oglebay Foundation will have resources through their gift to help support the facilities here at Oglebay," said Oglebay Foundation President and CEO Eriks Janelsins. "So their gift, as a leadership gift, will always make sure Oglebay has tennis. We have a very proud history here ... We're so grateful for the Horne family," he added.
The family chose to support Oglebay and its Tennis Center for the benefit of all of Wheeling, as the Tennis Center has provided the family with many memorable moments over the years, said Bob Horne, who spoke on behalf of the family. He said the family's hope is that adults and children will always have a first-class facility at Oglebay where they can play tennis, make friends, build community and develop character through the game of tennis.
"On behalf of my parents, Amy, David and Pam, we want to thank you for taking the time to be here with us ... and supporting tennis at Oglebay. All six of us are excited about supporting the park and being connected to it forever," Bob Horne commented.
"We want to acknowledge the essential roles that Oglebay and Wheeling Park have played in all of our lives. It was the center of our family's activities outside of school and work. For all of our time here in Wheeling, we came here to swim, enjoy the day camp and learned how to ski. All four of us kids played ice hockey and my parents didn't miss a game and the opportunity to cheer us on," he said. "... But most importantly was the role that tennis at Oglebay played in our lives, and this really did start with my mom when she moved to Wheeling upon marrying my dad. Her infectious enthusiasm for the sport helped her integrate herself into the community ... and making beloved, life-long friends. .... Wheeling is very special for all of us, and so for the four of us and my parents, Oglebay is one of the most important things that made living in Wheeling such a wonderful experience and so special to us," he added.
Wheeling Park President and CEO Bob Peckenpaugh thanked the entire Horne family for their generous gift.
"It's just an absolutely spectacular thing that you do. It's benefactors like you who truly make a difference," Peckenpaugh commented. "Seeing what tennis brings to the community ... it really brings people together. It really makes a big big difference," he said. "The sport that we call tennis, it's really more than a sport. Tennis is a community. It's a group of people that just love to get together. It brings happiness to them. It brings out their competitive spirit and it really is something that we can kind of all put our arms around and celebrate."
Debbie Pickens, president of the Wheeling-Oglebay Tennis Club, said Oglebay will be able to maintain and improve the tennis center for years to come through the gift from the Horne family. She said it is fitting that the facility will share the Horne family name.
"On behalf of the Wheeling-Oglebay Tennis Club and the entire tennis community, I would like to thank the Horne family for their generous support of tennis at Oglebay," she added.