By Bobby Anderson, staff writer

Growing up on the family farm, Brandon Steffens, RN, never saw a contractor’s truck pull up in the driveway.
No plumber, no electrician, no drywall guy and no painter ever set foot inside the house.
“I just grew up always working on the house with my dad. We never hired anything out,” Steffens said. “We did all the electrical, all the plumbing – whatever it was we did it ourselves.”
That work ethic carried the eventual float pool nurse through a seven-year stint with Home Depot and now to his current side business, Brandon’s Home Improvement.
Before he was working in the ICU and the ER, Steffens was plying the knowledge bestowed on him by his dad.
Elbow grease and a passion to make things better would make his dad proud.
Then nursing school and working with his hands took on a new meaning.
“People come to you in nursing in their worst states and it’s an emergency,” Steffens said, taking a break from an apartment remodel in Midwest City. “They’re dilapidated, sick or injured and we get the opportunity to put our hands on them and fix them and make things new again.”
Working nights four to five days a week for the past five years brought Steffens to a crossroads.
“Everyone told me to watch out, you’ll get burned out,” Steffens recalled. “I said ‘No, I wouldn’t’ but you get burned out.”
So Steffens decided to pour more of his time and talents into something else.
Being a contractor was a vocation he held before nursing. That took him into Home Depot, where he oversaw the entire local install business for the big box company.
Whether it be a sink or a door, a microwave or a dishwasher, Steffens was in charge of the contractors who carried out the work under Home Depot’s name.
It taught him even more about the business.
“I realized there is a huge need out there for people who just don’t know how to do home improvements or they didn’t have the time,” he said.
Or too often, they didn’t have a ton of money.
Home improvements are expensive. Steffens knows all too well the retail costs associated with a remodel.
And he knows the sizeable markup that goes with it.
Figuring things out and finding ways to save people a dollar are a challenge for him. Sometimes he challenges himself right out of a bigger check.
He showed up for a recent garage door opener install job one night. The customer had the new opener waiting for him in the box.
Steffens went up to unplug the old wire and noticed an electrical short.
“I saved him $400,” Steffens said. “I like that sense of accomplishment.”
For some reason Steffens’ specialty has always been tile. Projects that most contractors avoid like the plague, Steffens has a certain affinity.
“Most contractors shy away from it because it’s hard, lot of up and down and on your knees. That never bothered me,” he said. “I like the perfection of it, just to lay each piece of tile in a certain way. It’s kind of like art because you can do different things with tile that really finishes a house off.”
For Steffens, the business venture has been a source of freedom. It’s not a straight 12-hour gig, meeting sometimes unreasonable expectations with limited resources.
“I like the sense of accomplishment,” Steffens said. “In nursing, I talk to people all day long and doing home improvement I get a lot of alone time. I get to just lose myself in work for some time and get to be creative.”
“You go in and see something nasty and absolutely turn it around and make it new,” says Steffens, who has remodeled two of his own homes. “I like to touch every surface. I like when people come in to a house I’ve remodeled and every surface in that house has been touched by me.”
He admits he really hasn’t advertised since taking on more work.
He hasn’t had time.
“You do a good job and people tell people,” explained Steffens, who can be found on Facebook under Brandon’s Home Improvement. “People are always asking if you know anybody. It just snowballs from there.”
With four kids, age five, 10, 15 and 22 – Steffens has a full plate at home. But he’s already taken a couple of his kids along to start learning the trade.
“My 10-year-old has shown interest,” Steffens beamed. “He helped with carpentry on a door frame. He had all these wonderful better ideas how to fix it. There’s no science behind it.”
But there’s definitely an art.
And for now, the combination of science and art suits this nurse just fine.

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center has announced Jacob E. “Jed” Friedman, Ph.D., as director, Harold Hamm Diabetes Center at OU Medicine, and associate vice provost for diabetes programs, commencing January 1, 2019.
The announcement comes on the heels of a new $34 million dollar gift made to the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center. The gift from The Harold Hamm Foundation will be allocated over the next 10 years to fund research, technology and talent such as Friedman.
“We are enthusiastic that Dr. Friedman will grow the national and international research stature of the Diabetes Center, competing for sponsored funding, and recruiting and mentoring talented researchers,” said Jason Sanders, M.D., MBA, senior vice president and provost, OUHSC, and vice chair, OU Medicine. “He brings a clear vision for changing the course of diabetes prevention and treatment.”
Friedman comes to the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where he served as the director of the Colorado Program in Nutrition and Healthy Development and director of the National Institutes of Health Nutrition and Obesity Research Center laboratories for cellular and molecular metabolism. He was also a professor in Pediatrics, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, and Medicine.
Friedman has earned numerous National Institutes of Health and industry funding awards, as well as a Gates Grand Challenge grant. He has more than 134 peer-reviewed articles to his credit, selected for publication in a number of prestigious journals, including the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Communications and Diabetes.
Friedman has led teams of researchers, working in both basic and translational research areas. He is the lead investigator on numerous multi-Principal Investigator team science grants, and is involved with several clinical trials based on his basic science work. He was awarded the 2014 American Diabetes Association Norbert Freinkel Award, the highest award given for lifetime achievement in advancing the science and clinical care for diabetes in pregnancy.
“My vision for the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center is a focus on the emerging science of the developmental origins of diabetes and obesity identified in the first 1,000 days of life,” Friedman explained. “Research has established that a variety of adverse events in early developmental phases lead to life-long metabolic problems.’
Friedman’s research will involve studies on metabolism, mitochondrial malfunction, microbiome and epigenetics, and he will advance clinical and translational research in women with gestational diabetes and their infants to halt the growing trend for obesity and diabetes in the next generation.

The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation has received its share of interesting donations over the years. Along with the typical gifts made by check and credit card, there have also been cars, houses, jars of change collected at a lemonade stand, and even a toy soldier collection.
But none quite rival the estate gift that Claremore’s William Edgar Riggs left to the Oklahoma City nonprofit.
Riggs’ brother Lynn penned “Green Grow the Lilacs,” the 1931 play that Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II used as the basis for the musical “Oklahoma!” When Lynn died, he willed equal shares of his 1-percent royalty on the musical to William Edgar and his three other siblings.
William Edgar lost his wife to heart disease and his daughter to cancer. So, when he passed away in 1977, he left his royalty share to OMRF to benefit research for those two diseases.
“It was a really generous and foresighted thing to do,” said OMRF President Stephen Prescott, M.D.
With the gift, OMRF receives one-quarter of 1 percent of the musical’s box office share each year.
The show enjoyed a series of revivals from 1979 through 2002, including two on Broadway and one in London’s West End starring Hugh Jackman, and is still performed approximately 700 times a year. As a result, William Riggs’ gift has now provided OMRF researchers with more than $700,000.
“I’ve worked in the nonprofit sector my whole life, but I’d never heard of a donation like this until I joined OMRF,” said Penny Voss, OMRF’s vice president of development. “It truly is a gift that keeps on giving.”
Indeed, the donations will continue as long as “Green Grow the Lilacs” remains under copyright. In 2017, OMRF received just over $10,000 in “Oklahoma!” royalties.
With “Oklahoma!” celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2018, the musical saw a surge in the number of productions. That should mean a corresponding boost in revenues for OMRF.
“Even though OMRF didn’t yet exist when Lynn Riggs wrote his play, I hope he’d find it fitting that his work benefits Oklahoma’s homegrown research institute,” said Voss.
Grassroots support from Oklahomans in all 77 counties helped make OMRF a reality in 1950. “Those are the same kind of people portrayed in the musical—strong, caring, forward-looking,” she said. “We still see that spirit in our donors today.”

By Darlene Franklin

What would you do if you only had six months to live?
That question confronted me during a recent close brush with death. A blood clot had formed in my lungs. I filled a tiny red notebook provided by the hospital with thoughts on how to leave nothing important unsaid or undone.
Living intentionally is like carpe diem, seize the day. Don’t put off to tomorrow what is on my mind today. But it’s also not carpe diem. I’m not ignoring the future; I want to live life to the fullest today because tomorrow is uncertain.
I’m not talking about doing more. I’m talking what I choose to do. Yes, prioritize. After all, I won’t care if I have 100 unique book titles written before I die (although I hope to) but I will regret not sharing as much of myself as I can with my grandchildren while I am still able and they are still listening. My to-do list (which gets longeron a daily basis) will probably still have unfinished projects on it when I die, and that’s okay. God’s got it covered.
But there are things only I can do in the time where I am, in the place where I live, with the people around me. That’s where I want to make a difference while I can.
What did I add to my intentional living list? What last things did I want to make sure I focus on?
My relationship with God, my Father, my all in all, whom I will worship for all eternity. Since I want to see the world as He does, I need to spend time with Him every day..
My relationship with my family. To pour my unconditional love, joy and pride into them. To pass on our family legacy, things they won’t know if I don’t tell them.
My interactions with people. To grow in graciousness and friendliness, to make people a priority.
Using time wisely. Don’t accept opportunities because they exist. Accept them only after careful consideration.
My health. Take better care of my body, to prolong my days on earth or at least the quality of living.
My tasks. To be faithful in the jobs God has given me to do; to continue writing unless God gives me permission to stop.
While I do the above, I want to suck as much joy as possible from each day.
How about you? What would be on your list? Your priorities may be different than mine, especially if you’re at a different age or stage of life.
Having a clear view of what I want from each passing day, from every person I encounter, will make living intentionally easier. If I can get to the end of a day without regrets, so much the better. If I mess up, I confess where there’s sin, give myself grace where I just was thoughtless, and start over again,
The bigger question is, how do we get there? How do we avoid Blame Lane because we set ourselves up for failure?
Here’s a few tools I use:
Plan ahead. I realized I spent most of my visits with my grandchildren talking with their parents. I’ve started planning activities for us to do together. They bring things to share as well. We may read about trains, play a board game, write poems.while we talk about their lives, and mine. The planning allows for spontaneous moments that are the best of all.
Let go of schedules and allow life to happen. If someone drops by, invite them in for a visit. Human beings always trump things and work. I had to ask my grandson’s forgiveness when he broke a Christmas ornament. For a moment I lost sight of the fact the ornament was meaningless compared to his precious life.
Forgive myself when I mess up. God’s rule to forgive someone seventy times seven starts with me. When God has forgiven me, why can’t I forgive myself?
Let go of the small stuff.
Follow through. What made me examine my life in the first place?. Seek reconciliation with that person, take care of my health, spend more time with my family.
Keep track of your progress. I keep a record in my prayer journal, thanking God when I meet my goal, asking for help when I allow small things to get to me.
Examine your priorities periodically. Is there something I need to change?
When we live life intentionally, we’ll have fewer regrets when we reach the end.
You can find Darlene Franklin online at www.darlenefranklinauthor.com .

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn [email protected]

Even in the depths of winter, Wichita, Kansas can be an inviting destination. My wintry escape included a traveling Broadway show, museums, dining, A Cowtown Christmas and quality comfort in an expansive historic hotel. And its two and half hour drive north of Oklahoma City on smooth interstate 35, made it even more appealing.
Over the decades, I have seen several theatrical events at Century II, Wichita’s modern convention and entertainment venue, and it was my starting point in planning my weekend get a way. Having never seen, and needing a humorous musical entertainment, Once I booked a ticket to see the traveling, “Young Frankenstein.” It was performed admirably, and despite the inevitable comparison to the movie, it held up rather well as an evening’s respite from reality.
The convenience of my hotel stay at the Drury Broadview, across the street, added to my pleasure as did the perfect meal at its adjoining restaurant Avi. My filet was prepared to my directions as was the three blue cheese olive Stoli Martini, which got the evening off to a fine start. Completing the meal it was hard to choose from the dessert offerings of: Carrot Cake with German Chocolate Ice Cream, Chocolate and Orange Vanilla Cream Brule, Apricot Almond Goat Cheese-cheesecake, or a Chocolate covered Cranberry Chipolte bread pudding with Mixed Berry ice cream. But I did.
Besides the complete renovation of the Drury’s interior, the free extras of Internet, a hot buffet breakfast and the offerings of 3 free cocktails at their evening breakaway, complete with heavy additional treats that might include hot dogs, macaroni and cheese and nachos, and free internet, made the reasonably priced stay even more of a pleasure. Of course the pool and hot tub along with covered parking let you know you were an appreciated guest.
The highlight of my weekend’s theatrical entertainment was the surprise virtuosity of the Diamond W Wrangler singers at the Empire House Christmas Dinner at the living history Cowtown venue. Their close harmonies ~ reminiscent to the “Sons of the Pioneers”~ along with tongue in cheek humor, and a sufficient western style meal made the evening worth the effort to venture out in the cold.
Of course I was there during a Santa Claus visit, with his lap venue for good little girls and boys, along with singing in the western church ~ complimented by guitars and dulcimers courtesy of the Great Plains Dulcimer Alliance and Acoustic Treasures ~ and wandering in the moonlight over boardwalks past wooden stores and Victorian styled houses lit by kerosene lamps, set the stage for a congenial wintry outing.
Wichita has a number of exceptional museums and galleries, including the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum with its authentic recreation of an 1890 Wichita Cottage; the Kansas Aviation Museum with its collection of everything aviation; the Wichita Art Museum with its traveling exhibits and the Museum of World Treasures with everything from pre historic Dinosaurs to movie memorabilia.
A visit to Hat Man Jacks, in the historic Delano district, will custom fit your head to the appropriate covering for comfort, utility, and most expertly for an appealing appearance. Jack is the couture of men’s hats. He also has an extensive knowledge of early Wichita, and his stories are not only educational on frontier Chisholm Trail times, but entertaining.
Of course in our mobile society some venues may have changed or even closed so it is wise to do a little on line checking before taking your Wichita visit.
As there is more to share of Wichita, so please explore on your own by visiting, www.gowichita.com and asking for their visitor guide.
Drury Plaza Broadview – druryhotels.com/content/broadview.aspx
Wichita Historical Museum – www.wichitahistory.org
Wichita Art Museum – http://wichitaartmuseum.org
Century II – www.century2.org

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
http://realtraveladventures.com/author/zinn

Dear Savvy Senior,

What are the eligibility requirements to get Medicaid coverage for nursing home care?

Caregiving Daughter

Dear Caregiving,
The rules and requirements for Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care are complicated and will vary according to the state where your parent lives. With that said, here’s a general, simplified rundown of what it takes to qualify.
Medicaid Eligibility
Medicaid, the joint federal and state program that covers health care for the poor, is also the largest single payer of America’s nursing home bills for seniors who don’t have the resources to pay for their own care.
Most people who enter nursing homes don’t qualify for Medicaid at first, but pay for care either through long-term care insurance or out-of-pocket until they deplete their savings and become eligible for Medicaid.
To qualify for Medicaid, your parent’s income and assets will need to be under a certain level that’s determined by their state. Most states require that a person have no more than about $2,000 in countable assets that includes cash, savings, investments or other financial resources that can be turned into cash.
Assets that aren’t counted for eligibility include their home if it’s valued under $560,000 (this limit is higher – up to $840,000 – in some states), their personal possessions and household goods, one vehicle, prepaid funeral plans and a small amount of life insurance.
But be aware that while your parent’s home is not considered a countable asset to determine their eligibility, if he or she can’t return home, Medicaid can go after the proceeds of their house to help reimburse their nursing home costs, unless a spouse or other dependent relative lives there. (There are some other exceptions to this rule.)
After qualifying, all sources of your parent’s income such as Social Security and pension checks must be turned over to Medicaid to pay for their care, except for a small personal needs allowance – usually between $30 and $90.
You also need to be aware that your parent can’t give away their assets to qualify for Medicaid faster. Medicaid officials will look at their financial records going back five years to root out suspicious asset transfers. If they find one, their Medicaid coverage will be delayed a certain length of time, according to a formula that divides the transfer amount by the average monthly cost of nursing home care in their state.
So if, for example, your parent lives in a state where the average monthly nursing home cost is $5,000 and they gave away cash or other assets worth $50,000, they would be ineligible for benefits for 10 months ($50,000 divided by $5,000 = 10).
Spousal Protection
Medicaid also has special rules for married couples when one spouse enters a nursing home and the other spouse remains at home. In these cases, the healthy spouse can keep one half of the couple’s assets up to $120,900 (this amount varies by state), the family home, all the furniture and household goods and one automobile. The healthy spouse is also entitled to keep a portion of the couple’s monthly income – between $2,030 and $3,022. Any income above that goes toward the cost of the nursing home recipient’s care.
What about Medicare?
Medicare, the federal health insurance program for seniors 65 and older, and some younger people with disabilities, does not pay for long-term care. It only helps pay up to 100 days of rehabilitative nursing home care, which must occur after a hospital stay.
Find Help
For more detailed information, contact your state Medicaid office (see Medicaid.gov for contact information). You can also get help from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (see ShiptaCenter.org), which provides free counseling on all Medicare and Medicaid issues.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

story and photo by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Hand-written cards.
The joy of simply being present with loved ones and making their day a little brighter.
The pride that comes with honoring a loved one who gave their life in the service of country.
These simple things have always been foundational for Missy Beckett.
As a registered nurse, Beckett has cared for people from all walks of life, all the while knowing that memories they create will last a lifetime.
It’s this approach that Beckett promised to keep as the director for the aptly named Promise Care Hospice service.
Promise Care is locally and privately owned and Beckett has worked with the owner more than a decade now.
The focus has and always will be personal.
“I want to be small,” Beckett said. “As an RN and the director I want to know everyone. I want to know who my team is talking about. I want to know every single person’s name. I want to know their families. I don’t want ever to be too big to not know why I’m doing this.”
Promise Care is comprised of an expert teams of caregivers consisting of registered nurses, physicians, home healthcare aides, social workers, chaplains, bereavement counselors and trained volunteers.
The palliative care offered eases pain and discomfort for all who experience it.
Social and spiritual support for both patients and their loved ones is bedrock.
Volunteers are often the lifeblood of a quality hospice experience.
That’s where Stacy Wingfield comes in. Promise Care’s volunteer coordinator hand picks those individuals with both the heart and compassion for the role.
Wingfield knows no paycheck could ever be equal both the service volunteers provide and the what they receive in return.
“They’ve gotten a lot of strength,” Wingfield said of her volunteers. “We have training all along the way. You don’t have to have any medical background at all. It’s very interesting the different areas. You could be a florist and want to volunteer to put arrangements together.”
“You could be a masseuse and maybe come do hand massages or an art student who wants to make cards and do crafts. There are so many different avenues.”
One of Wingfields volunteers is an author who comes in after book tours and takes her book into a home and reads while in costume.
“The older you get the more life has thrown at you and the more you do understand where people are coming from,” Wingfield said.
Beckett knew of a woman through healthcare that transportation circumstances had left her homebound. She decided to present her the opportunity to volunteer.
“It has changed her entire outlook on everything to be able to get out and visit and help and spend time with people,” Beckett said. “It’s super important for the patient to have a neutral person to be able to tell their fears. They’re not going to tell their family. Sometime they’ll tell us as a nurse but to have someone who can go in and spend four or five hours at the bedside and just watch TV or read or have a conversation it’s so important.”
“And it’s important for the family to get out of the house and get a break and we really encourage that.”
From the outset, Beckett has brought her staff out into the community when they’re not in patients’ homes.
Once a month you’ll find the Promise Care team working at a homeless shelter serving others.
Every year you’ll find Beckett and staff handing out turkeys with a local law firm.
“Our group is really unique. We like to get out and go do things probably a lot of other businesses don’t do together,” Beckett said.
Remembering the holidays are always packed with events, Beckett was scolded by her staff this year when she suggested they take December off from the shelter serving line.
“They got mad at me,” Beckett laughed. “We like to give back. I think for most of the staff we all have to have a paycheck but I think we’d all do this for free.”
Honoring loved ones is what Promise Care is all about.
And Beckett admits she has a soft spot for veterans.
“I’m a Lawton girl so veterans are near and dear to my heart,” she said. “My dad is buried at the national cemetery. People on our team are veterans so we want to honor them, too.”
It’s those little things along the way that most don’t realize that are actually the big things in life.
And it’s those moments that Beckett promises to make count.

Harry and Betty Wales are quick to tell you that in 1954, when God called them to serve, He promised to provide for them in their faithfulness and He has always done so. Betty and Harry worked their farm in Iowa for 20 years. When they received their separate callings, both struggled against accepting God’s call and did not share the news with each other for several weeks. Harry was content in his role of farmer. Betty knew speaking to a congregation was not her gift. Betty laughed as she related her profound relief when Harry told her he had been called by God to the ministry; she then understood her role was to be by his side, standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the ministry. Harry preached to Nazarene congregations across the southwest for more than 40 years before retiring in Oklahoma City in 2000.
Throughout his ministry, Harry worked two jobs, enabling Betty to stay home with their two daughters. Together, they served the Lord living each day with the promise that God would provide for all their needs. Although retired, Harry has continued his ministry at the Warr Acres Senior Center (4301 Ann Arbor) for more than 18 years offering support through prayer, teaching Bible study classes, and sharing God’s word. Diane Maguire, coordinator at the Warr Acres center, describes Harry as the ‘chaplain’ of the center. He is always willing to share in joy or sorrow. Betty also continues serving others by making coffee at the senior center every morning, helping with lunch. Harry and Betty are truly extraordinary volunteers, goodwill ambassadors, and faithful to their calling.
In November 2018, Harry and Betty celebrated 69 years of marriage. At the glorious ages of 90 (90 is the new 70!) and 87, respectively, Harry and Betty remain firm in their faith that God will continue to provide. Falls have taken a toll on both Harry and Betty this past year. Harry can no longer remodel old houses to provide additional income or to make them habitable for his family. Hospitalizations and the need to be in a rehabilitation care unit with mounting medical bills add to financial concerns.
Unfortunately, working every day for more than 60 years does not guarantee you a comfortable retirement. Since retiring, Harry and Betty rely on the monthly financial support of their daughters, a pension from the church, and the graces of past congregations. When the air conditioning in their home went out this past summer, a former congregation stepped in to replace the irreparable system. Those who know Harry and Betty best, will tell you it is a joy and honor to help them. Their optimism and complete faith that God will provide shines in all they do. Because friends are doing yard work, helping them exercise, making minor home repairs and providing other needs, they are surviving retirement.
Surviving is defined as remaining alive. Merely surviving retirement is never the goal – it’s not how we envision ourselves living out our mature years. Surviving is not comfortable nor is it fun; surviving can be unnerving. Sadly, too many seniors merely survive retirement. The struggles are real, but you are not alone.
Advance 2-1-1 Oklahoma is an easy-access system designed to offer information about and referrals to community services for both those who need help, and those who provide help. Find out what is available by calling 211, or, try out the new text service “211OK” by texting your zip code to 898-211. In Oklahoma City, Sunbeam Family Services, Catholic Charities, Legal Aid, Neighborhood Services Organization and The Salvation Army are a few agencies that stand ready to assist seniors, as well as, more than 60 food pantries.
Senior News and Living OK has a dedicated phone line for you to ASK LISA questions or share information; please call 405-631-5100, Ext. 5 and leave your name, phone number, and a message regarding your concern.
AFTERTHOUGHTS with Lisa
About four years ago, I was in the emergency room with family members, discussing the dangers of falling with a gentleman and his wife. The gentleman and I had both fallen that evening and were waiting our x-ray results. My son walked in and asked, “Mom, how bad was your fall?” Without hesitation, the gentleman said, “Young man, it is inappropriate to use obscene language in present company.” Raucous laughter followed as he explained, “FALL” is our new four-letter word. All agreed that a “FALL” was to be avoided at all costs!
Winter weather is very unpredictable in Oklahoma; avoid wet or icy sidewalks and driveways. If you must be out in the weather take care of YOU; broken bones are no fun and recuperation is difficult!! Use your cane, walker, or a helpful arm when you must be out in the weather.

Fundraiser will feature a performance by country music group Runaway June
Next month, break out your dancing shoes to benefit a great cause at the Mercy Gala, hosted by Mercy Health Foundation Oklahoma City.
The annual fundraiser will be held on Friday, Jan. 18, at 6 p.m. at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. This year’s event will feature dinner, a silent auction, a raffle, a special performance by country music trio Runaway June and an after party hosted by DJ Kirby.
Recognized by Billboard as the “Next Hot Trend in Country Music,” Runaway June is the first all-female trio in more than a decade to earn two Top 40 hits. The group also received a 2018 Academy of Country Music nomination for “New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year.” They just released their debut project for Wheelhouse Records and are preparing to join Carrie Underwood on tour in May.
“For more than 30 years, the Mercy Gala has been a way for the community to come together to help those in need receive medical services and we are so thankful for that support,” says Lori Cummins, executive director of the Mercy Health Foundation Oklahoma City. “And, we are thrilled to have Runaway June performing and DJ Kirby hosting our after party this year.”
DJ Kirby has a distinct style of mixing and blending classic party music spanning every music genre. He has performed with The Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Britney Spears, Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Kid Rock and many others. He also has a mix show every Saturday on eight different radio stations across the country.
Because Mercy provides care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, all proceeds from the gala will support the charitable needs of patients at Mercy. Last year’s event raised more than $280,000 for programs like Mercy’s Project Early Detection, which provides free breast health services to uninsured or underinsured Oklahomans.
This year’s event will help support the charitable needs of patients at Mercy in Oklahoma City to include the Mercy Good Samaritan Clinic, Project Early Detection and other forms of patient assistance like help with medications, transportation, nutrition and more.
To learn more about the gala, to purchase tickets or to become an event sponsor, visit www.bit.ly/MercyGALA19 or call (405) 486-8944. Individual tickets are $200 and sponsorship opportunities are still available.