Meet the Team

Gretchen gets the acclaim of having knownPreston the longest, having been there from the moment he took his first breath until the heart-wrenching moment when he breathed his last. As hard as that last moment was, she recognizes the gift of the time they spent together and all the moments in between.

Graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Theater, Gretchen thought she would pursue a Master’s in Counseling. However, during the summer of after her senior year, while working in Acadia National Park, she met her future husband and her plans changed. They traveled for a few years living in Key West, FL, Pittsburgh, PA, and Scotsdale, AZ before finally settling on the coast of Maine. While their three boys were young, she worked from home as the chief executive officer of her husband’s landscaping company. When the boys reached school age, she added homeschooling to her resume as well as serving as the secretary and future den leader for the local Cub Scout Pack. When Preston’s older brother Wesley developed an interest in dance at the age of seven, Gretchen rediscovered a passion from her early years and before she knew it she was teaching classes with Studio RED. Over the past 18 years as all three boys developed that same love of dance and Gretchen’s role at the studio grew, Studio RED became their home and their fellow dancers became family.

Preston was a dedicated member of the dance team and when he was diagnosed, his dance family rallied around the Hendersons with love and support that helped get them through the long months of treatments, medications, hospital visits, highs, lows, and ultimately Preston’s loss. Preston never lost his passion for the art of dance and tried to maintain his dance schedule for as long as his body would let him, fueled by love of the art and his devotion to his friends. #prestostrong was seen on the bracelets his teammates wore and all over social media, sparking the idea that ultimately led to the creation of this organization.

When Preston’s soul transitioned, Gretchen felt lost. He had been her constant companion for not just his childhood, but for the previous eighteen months when she barely left his side. Part of her grief process was turning to books, the other was gathering together a small group of women from Preston’s life to form an organization dedicated to fostering the light he left behind in so many and growing that light into something that would continue illuminating the world even in his absence. From this glowing ember of an idea, the Presto Strong Project was formed.

Altruistic by nature, Preston’s selfless and compassionate nature can be found in the principles the organization was founded on - hope, joy, light, and optimism. Gretchen hopes to be a guiding light for other families experiencing a similar diagnosis, to educate the public on brain tumors and the need for continued research, and to help those wishing to pursue dance and the arts to achieve their dreams.