WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — The Boy Scouts of America, Northwest Texas Council, honored a Wichitan woman after her significant contributions to Texoma.

During Monday’s luncheon on November 6, 2023, the Americanism Award was given to Teresa Pontius-Caves, who has had a hand in community involvement since 2014.

From 2003 to her retirement in 2018, Caves served as the president of the Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation, becoming a vital part of local philanthropy.

She said there’s one simple message that has helped herself and her family for years.

“I wrote it on a piece of paper: ‘I can, I will, I do,’ and that hung on our refrigerator for decades,” Caves said. “It was our family’s message to one another for whatever we were going through: I can, I will, I do.”

Caves has served not only as president of the Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation but also with Texoma Gives and Empty Bowls, just to name a few.