From Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com

With only a short visit to exciting towns, I like to stay in the mix, and within walking distance to its dining and attractions. Not having to rent a car at the airport has its advantages, and takes some of the stress out of vacationing. This is what I did when in Denver Colorado, by making my home base The Residence Inn by Marriot at 1725 Champa Street. As it turned out I was in the middle of the downtown dining action I would take in. It was only a block or two, to catch the 16th street hop on and off trolley, saving you steps and time. At this Residence Inn, with the amenities of breakfast and a friendly wait staff I could leisurely start my day, after a sound sleep the previous night. In a walkable downtown like Denver, and with its trolley service to popular areas, getting around was much easier and more congenial than driving in traffic, hunting for the locale, and then trying to secure parking. Plus walking in the mile high city is a great way to take in the altitude’s fresh air and work up a thirst. Of course this precludes snow falls, blizzards and subzero temps, which I was lucky enough to avoid for my November visit.
One venue not to be missed is the historic Brown Palace Hotel. You need not stay the night, but a moment or two in the elegant Atrium Lobby is a treat. Another treat is to avail yourself of the food, service and ambiance of the Palace Arms and Churchill Bar. Here old world style is a natural and only surpassed by the culinary delights served by the experienced staff. European antiques and period artwork decorates the expansive room and includes a set of dueling pistols said to have belonged to Napoleon. An informative self-guided tour booklet is available for your leisure.
And then there is the view from the Peaks Lounge on the 26th floor of the Hyatt Regency, on 14th and California streets , where they offer a variety of cocktails (martinis of course my favorite) along with light appetizers and views of the city and its horizon of mountains. It is quite a popular place and while the seating might not match up to the demand, it’s worth a try. I came for a sunset, which in November seemed almost to set earlier than when Peaks was to open at 4 pm, but I made myself the first to be seated and paused for the sunset. The only disappointment was that the end of the room where the sunset over the mountains could have been seen best was blocked off for a later private party. It was a shame for this brief Denver visitor, but the libation concoctions were both delightful and promptly served. I do so dislike ordering an ice berg (frost on the pond) martini to have it set at the bar and warm up.
The hard to get in, Green Russell underground bar in a speak-easy style bar, was a bit of a disappointment to my expectations. It was very much in demand, and my reservation was accepted, but with a bit of aloofness. What is amazing here is that the bartenders take their time and carve a block of ice into a globe for your drink. I was told it is to get the most chill for the drink without diluting it. I think it might also fill the glass so much so, that there is less drink in the drink. They have rules of no cell phones (great) and no standing, so you must reserve a table or place at the bar as I did. The Martini I had was exotically mixed with fresh herbs and press to order juices. So don’t be in a hurry. If you don’t like crowds in small places, this might not be your bar.
For an atmosphere of the old world try the art deco of The Cruise Room, Denver’s original Martini Bar, in the 1891 Oxford Hotel near the Union train station. Venture into their imaginative appetizers while holding your Martini glass high and paying homage to another age. Under the 1933 art deco panels, inspired by the Queen Mary ship, you may toast your good taste in art and atmosphere with a White Cosmopolitan of Finlandia Raspberry Vodka, Cointreau, Lime and fresh white cranberry juice and follow it with a Bond 007 of Stoli Vodka, Bombay Gin with olive or Lemon twist, as I did. The Cruise Room won the prestigious Miami Art Deco Award in 1983, and might win your praises too.
You’d think you might not be able to see straight from your weekend of libation sampling during your short downtown Denver visit. But after moderation, I suggest you see the Denver Art Museum with a current exhibition to accompany their permanent collection. With a bit of planning you too can take in the best of downtown Denver in a short weekend; be it art, Larimer Square shopping or gourmet dining.
Before you go check out:
https://www.denver.org, https://www.brownpalace.com, https://residence-inn.marriott.com, https://www.theoxfordhotel.com, http://www.partybusboulder.com, https://www.larimersquare.com

Physician-scientist Rod McEver, M.D., who returned to the place of his high school internship and became one of the state’s preeminent scientists, retired Monday following a 35-year career at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.
McEver, a graduate of Oklahoma City’s John Marshall High School, first came to OMRF as a Sir Alexander Fleming Scholar at age 17. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Yale University and attended medical school at the University of Chicago before returning to OMRF to open his lab in 1987.
The hematologist and cardiovascular biologist served the foundation as a principal investigator, program chair and, since 2016, as its vice president of research. He will continue to support OMRF in an emeritus role as a Distinguished Career Scientist.
“I can think of no one who better personifies OMRF’s mission than Dr. Rod McEver,” said OMRF President Andrew Weyrich, Ph.D. “Not only has his work made a difference for patients worldwide, but he has been an incredible mentor to hundreds of scientists. He is who we all aspire to be.”
McEver’s pioneering work with blood cells led to his discovery of P-selectin, a molecule that plays a crucial role in inflammation and blood clotting. That discovery ultimately gave birth to the first FDA-approved treatment for the pain crises in sickle cell disease. The condition affects an estimated 100,000 Americans and 5 million people worldwide.
Succeeding McEver as vice president of research is OMRF scientist Courtney Griffin, Ph.D., who holds the foundation’s Scott Zarrow Chair in Biomedical Research. Her lab studies blood vessel development and its connection to disease and good health. She joined OMRF in 2008.
Griffin served as scientific director for the Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research from 2019 to 2023 and is an adjunct professor of cell biology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She earned her doctorate at the University of California, San Francisco, following her bachelor’s degree at Harvard University.
“Dr. McEver’s mentorship over the last 15 years has been critical to my development as a thoughtful researcher and leader,” said Griffin. “He is the ultimate model of a scientific leader, and I am grateful for how he’s prepared me for this new role.”

Anna Jackson

(Right) Anna Jackson of Sand Springs turned 100 today and celebrated with family and friends. Anna has been a member of the Trinity Baptist Church quilt group for 40 years! She loved to eat anything from the garden in her younger days, but now loves anything chocolate! Happy Birthday, Anna!

Evelyn Napier

(Left) Evelyn Napier of Tulsa celebrated her 100th Birthday today with a precision honor guard from Bixby High School. There have been many memorable changes during Evelyn’s lifetime – especially seeing flights to the moon. Her words of wisdom to us are: Don’t Drink or Smoke. Happy Birthday wishes to Evelyn!

Lou Ella Revel

(Right) Lou Revel of Oklahoma City was 100 last July and we recently celebrated her as a Centenarian of Oklahoma! She attended Sooner State Beauty College in Oklahoma City and had a career as a beautician, continuing to fix hair in her home until she was 90 years young. Her words of wisdom to us are: Keep Moving. Love Jesus. Work Hard.

Hattie Mann

(Right) Hattie Mann of Okmulgee celebrates her 100th birthday! She worked as an accounting clerk in California, then moved to Las Vegas and back to Okmulgee. She is a long-time member of the Okmulgee City-Wide Prayer Band. Hattie loves tacos! Her favorite song is Precious Lord and she shares these words of wisdom with us – Seek the Lord.

by Greg Schwem

Mary Louise and Marty showed up faithfully at the park each morning at 7:30. Stopping their SUV in the same space, Mary Louise, 68, emerged with a bowl of water, followed by her husband, 85, and armed with a tennis ball. They opened the car’s hatch as if they were pulling back a Broadway curtain to reveal the show’s marquee star.
Shamus, their 3-year-old border collie, played the role well.
For the next 45 minutes, owners commiserated as our dogs, including Macie, my cockapoo, frollicked in the unfenced park, regardless of weather. Shamus never tired of chasing the ball, no matter how far Marty’s plastic contraption launched it. We laughed as our dogs sniffed owners’ butts, knowing treats were in nearby pockets. I began using the owners as my “test audience,” trying out lines I might use on stage in upcoming standup comedy shows. One day I remarked that I was going on a business trip but was anxious to get home “to be with those I love the most.”
“It’s hard to leave your dog,” I added.
Mary Louise laughed the hardest.
The dogs rolled, wrestled, barked and slurped. Shamus was usually the ringleader.
“He’ll run around like this every morning and then he’ll sleep all afternoon,” Mary Louise said.
Gesturing to Marty, I replied, “And what will Shamus do?”
More laughs. They came fast and freely.
Until one day, they didn’t.
Returning from nearly a month-long corporate speaking tour, Macie and I arrived at the park to see Mary Louise exiting her SUV, clutching the water bowl. As she moved toward me, I saw an opportunity for humor.
“We’re all losing our memories, Mary Lou, but did you forget Shamus?”
I regretted it the moment I saw the tears.
“We lost him,” was all she could say before breaking down.
Shamus, she explained after composing herself, suffered from seizures but neither she nor her husband thought they would cause their beloved companion’s death so quickly. Anticipating my next question, she said Marty hadn’t been able to return to the park.
“But you’re still coming,” I said.
“I wouldn’t know what to do all day,” she replied, walking toward the gazebo where the owners congregated if it was raining, snowing or oppressively hot. Our dogs never complained about the elements because, well, they’re dogs.
How I wanted to make Mary Louise laugh at this particular moment. Was there something, anything, I could say to bring out a smile or even a soft chuckle? I firmly believe humor has a place anywhere. I recounted the funerals I’ve been to where mourners laughed more than they cried. Occasionally I’ve been asked to speak about the deceased, solely because a relative figured I could lighten the mood with comedy. It’s never an easy task, but one I relish.
Yet, here I was, looking at a woman whose morning routine would never be the same, despite her best attempt. Macie was fidgeting, so I told her to hang in there, turned and headed for home with my very healthy four-legged friend.
A week later Macie and I returned, hoping to see the cadre of dogs we’d come to expect. On this particular day, the grass was empty. There was only the SUV in the parking lot.
As we got closer, the door opened and Mary Louise emerged. She’d been waiting for one of us to arrive, just so she could lavish love on an animal, even if it wasn’t hers. I knew she’d been crying.
I asked about Marty. He still wasn’t making the trip.
Hesitating, I plowed forward with the “elephant in the room” question.
“Do you think you’ll get another one?”
“I’d like to, but I’m not sure I can go through this again,” she said.
“I know something you need right now,” I said, wrapping my arms around her.
Wear a mask if it makes you feel safer or more comfortable, but never be afraid to reach out, literally and physically, to someone in need. Do it today.
Because, like laughter, hugs will always have a place in the world.
(Greg Schwem is a corporate stand-up comedian and author of two books: “Text Me If You’re Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad” and the recently released “The Road To Success Goes Through the Salad Bar: A Pile of BS From a Corporate Comedian,” available at Amazon.com. Visit Greg on the web at www.gregschwem.com.
You’ve enjoyed reading, and laughing at, Greg Schwem’s monthly humor columns in Senior Living News. But did you know Greg is also a nationally touring stand-up comedian? And he loves to make audiences laugh about the joys, and frustrations, of growing older. Watch the clip and, if you’d like Greg to perform at your senior center or senior event, contact him through his website at www.gregschwem.com)

By Nick Thomas

Don’t expect any vocal surprises if you ever attend a concert featuring Gary Lewis & the Playboys.
“I’m a real stickler for absolute originality,” said Lewis from his home in Rochester, New York. “The fans want to hear the songs just like they remember them from the radio, they don’t want to hear new arrangements, so we keep it very original when playing live.”
Fans can also expect to enjoy most of Lewis’s big hits from the 60s including, “This Diamond Ring,” “Everybody Loves a Clown,” and “Green Grass.” In March, Gary and the boys with be performing in several Florida cities (see www.garylewisandtheplayboys.com for their 2023 touring schedule).
“We had seven Top 10 songs in a row in the space of two years, so I was very blessed to have such amazing success so quickly,” noted Lewis.
“This Diamond Ring,” the group’s first record, reached the number 1 spot in the U.S. in February 1965 and Lewis remembers excitedly watching it climb the charts over six weeks. But the upbeat version released was very different from the original.
“I first heard it in producer Snuffy Garrett’s office at Liberty Records when he played a demo, a very different slow version,” recalled Lewis. “At the time, I just wanted to get a song recorded and said I loved it. But then Leon Russell made a new arrangement – the version that was released – and it became this huge hit.”
Lewis credits his mother for supporting his early music passion, offering financial help and advice, unbeknownst to his father.

“Before our first hit, we were doing a lot of auditions as Gary & the Playboys because my mom didn’t want me getting work just because I had a famous father,” said Lewis. “When Diamond Ring began climbing the charts, she said I should put Lewis in the band’s name. I did, but still not everyone realized I had a very famous entertainment father and so we were thrilled to get work based solely on our talent.”
His dad, of course, was comedian Jerry Lewis who had no idea his son had a hit record until Gary presented him with a gift. “When I got the first gold record for Diamond Ring, I signed it to him and I went down to Paramount Studios where he was filming and I walked in and said ’Dad, this is for you.’ He was very surprised and, I think, quite proud.”
Much has been written over the years of the strained relationship between Jerry Lewis and his children.
“I was always able to separate my career from what he and I were,” said Lewis. ”It bothered me that we never got along too well, but that’s just the way it was and I’m over it.”
When he performs today, Lewis’s songs not only have the same arrangements as the originals, but a similar sound despite being performed by all-new Playboys.
“Over the years there have been many sets of Playboys, but today’s group has been with me since 2004 and has that same great original sound,” he says. We don’t do a huge number of shows a year now, but I still love it and seeing the fans, new and old, who still love our music.”
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama and has written features, columns, and interviews for numerous magazines and newspapers. See https://www.getnickt.org/.

INTEGRIS Health is looking for both sponsors and teams to play in its inaugural Pickleball Tournament on Saturday, April 15 at Chicken N Pickle in Oklahoma City!
The tournament will bring together true pickleball competitors, those who play for fun and even those trying the sport for the very first time.
But the event is about more than just fun and games. It is an official fundraiser to help support the life-changing services provided at the INTEGRIS Health Arcadia Trails Center for Addiction Recovery.
The facility is Oklahoma’s most advanced state-of-the-art addiction, mental health and trauma treatment center in Edmond, offering a full continuum of care to include both inpatient and outpatient services for adults 18 and older.
The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 15 at Chicken N Pickle, located at 8400 N. Oklahoma Ave. in Oklahoma City.
There are several opportunities to sponsor, play or both! However, there are limited spots available to play, so act fast before the bracket is full. The deadline to sponsor and be included in printed materials is Wednesday, March 15. Attached is a sponsorship form, or you can register online at https://www.integrisgiving.org/pickleball.

Story by Darl DeVault, Contributing Editor

HarborChase of South Oklahoma City executives welcomed the group of 40 Senior Business Solution colleagues who braved a thunderstorm to attend their networking luncheon on March 16. to their assisted living and memory care residence located on south May Ave.
The meeting started with longtime event organizer Bill Muir addressing a significant change in his company. Muir started the SBS luncheons six years ago as an extension of the newly launched Compass Senior Living Solutions he and his wife Karen founded.
“I am proud to announce that Jennifer Buckles, also a certified senior advisor will become a full partner in our mission to help seniors in search of care options as they age,” Muir said. “Jennifer joined Compass in 2021 and has been the sales and marketing manager since early 2022. The first of April, she will be a full partner serving as chief operating officer.”
Muir said he and wife Karen will be stepping back from day-to-day operations due to recent health challenges. They will remain advisors involved in overseeing the continued growth of the company.
Muir said the four senior advisors working in the Oklahoma City metro area now also include Dee Edwards and Cheryl Beaver, who assist Oklahoma seniors in finding the optimal solutions as they explore their options.
HarborChase Executive Director Willena Ferguson welcomed the visitors to the luxury assisted living and memory care facility, which she proudly explained has some of the most amenities of any Oklahoma senior center. It offers 106 one, and two-bedroom assisted living options, and The Cove—offering Alzheimer’s and dementia care and respite care services to families.
A full-service barber and beauty salon augment the resort-level luxury, along with a putting green in the interior courtyard next to the cabana and a creative art studio and a fitness and wellness center on site.
Fine dining is another heralded feature, with an executive chef overseeing the three meals daily and a variety of on-site restaurants, including a bistro and a steakhouse open to the public that takes reservations for Friday and Saturday. HarborChase is also state licensed as a hotel, so they can provide residents and the public with a bar and cocktail lounge.
With a thunderstorm outside during the meeting, Ferguson emphasized the visitors’ safety by talking about the peace of mind builders put into the building. “This Oklahoma room we are in is a safe room rated to withstand an EF 5 Category tornado, Ferguson said. “This large space provides our residents and staff a great sense of safety in Oklahoma’s unpredictable weather and serves as a movie theatre room and chapel.”
Ferguson helped bring the facility to life, arriving to help with planning 14 months before it opened in 2020. She talked about how proud she was to be a part of Vero Beach, Fla. – based Harbor Retirement Associates in bringing the many luxury living options they provide to Oklahoma. HRA operates more than 35 communities in eight states and is partnering to construct even more communities in seven additional states.
HRA manages over $150 million in revenue and approximately $1 billion in assets while employing 2,000 associates.
The luncheon continued with each invitee giving a few minutes of information about their employer and how they saw their role in helping seniors with their needs in the community. A few people outlined special events their venues were planning soon, inviting others to attend.
Representatives of an Informed Senior Seminar to be held Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon, April 14, spoke of how all the local law enforcement and state agencies will come together that day to offer seniors an overview of their many services.
Some providers reported real-time availability for their care, housing options, and home care and hospice providers. Speakers covered topics ranging from personnel issues to renovation offerings and help explaining VA benefits to patients and clients.
Conversations before and after the more formal portion allowed attendees to stay connected with their senior industry peers while building possible referral networks.
After the networking, half a dozen attendees asked to take a tour. HarborChase Director of Sales Staci Seilkopf began the time by explaining the nearly 1,900-square foot Oklahoma Room used for the luncheon is a safe room rated by FEMA to withstand category EF 5 tornado winds. An enclosed generator ensures power, and a full-stocked pantry provides food and water for residents for up to three days in the case of disaster. Some $400,000 two and a half tons of concrete make up the nearly two-feet thick walls protecting residents, as does the bulletproof glass and custom-designed rolling steel hurricane shutters.
HarborChase South Oklahoma City is located at 10801 S May Ave and can be found online at https://www.harborchase.com

By Marilyn Olson

Mature adults are leaders. We have seen a few things, and we have learned a few things. We are hardworking individuals who have learned leadership over a lifetime of refining career skills. Our brains are “time wise.”
Most of the 370,000 everyday leaders over 55 living in greater Oklahoma City are grateful for an opportunity to give time, experience, and finances. Mature adults generously offer these resources to the community without which there would be a void. The individuals, businesses, organizations and faith communities who see the value and incorporate that experience will benefit and will also become wise.
There are many examples of this mature, everyday leadership among the VillagesOKC membership, from pastors and former executives to engineers and journalists. All these individuals bring with them an eagerness to remain active and to give back to their community. VillagesOKC offers the opportunity for older adults to use the skills they’ve acquired over a lifetime or to learn new ways to grow and contribute.
The incredible wit and wisdom of people over 50 can reveal secrets and insights for living a meaningful life – simply not possible without experience. Their thoughtful perspectives offer a treasure trove of life lessons about perseverance, the human spirit, and staying positive in the midst of great challenges.
Leaders over 50 became leaders because they have utilized their learning to continue growing. Often this growth has led to a paradigm shift opening more doors of opportunity. This quality gives hope and causes others to say “she is inspiring”; “he is such a delight to be with,” or I hope I can be as sharp and interesting a person as he is.”
When people are happy and confident, others enjoy their company and follow their leadership in the community or organization. To think that organizations, businesses and faith communities would ignore those over 50 when they could be the beneficiary of experience, talent and generosity.
Fortunately, Oklahoma City is the kind of community which values the irreplaceable talent and wisdom of mature adults in every sector of the community. It simply makes sense to begin changing the conversation about aging and include these generous and wise adults as an integral part and a key partner.
The community benefits when recognizing leaders are leaders at any age. VillagesOKC is a plan for aging that connects a community leading the way to fill the gaps.

Story by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

Nerve pain is a debilitating condition that affects a significant portion of the population, particularly seniors. The Northwest Nerve Renewal Neuropathy Clinic (NRNC), located in the shared medical building Edgewater Medical Center is rapidly building more local facilities to address the nerve pain seniors experience.
The NRNC celebrated its first anniversary on March 23 with a community coffee sponsored by the Northwest Oklahoma City Chamber, followed by a ribbon cutting and open house. This Northwest NRNC was the first opened in the greater Oklahoma City area, followed by clinics in South Oklahoma City and recently Norman.
The clinic’s mission is to help Oklahomans renew their quality of life through innovative nerve pain treatments that provide safe and effective relief so that patients reclaim their joy, mobility, and freedom. The Nerve Renewal clinic treats all types of neuropathic pain. This includes diabetic, chemotherapy induced, autoimmune, injury sustained, and surgically related to name a few.
The three clinics and the new one to be opened in June in Midwest City are making therapy more accessible to patients who may have difficulty traveling long distances due to persistent nerve pain. Patients do not need a doctor’s referral to receive treatment. The clinics offer Electroanalgesia (EA) treatments, which have been approved by Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA and have been shown in studies to provide long-term pain reduction for up to 80 percent of patients without surgery or medication.
NRNC CEO Tim Bales, 60, said the Northwest clinic staff has provided 6,500 treatments in the year it has been open. “The number of Oklahomans our ability to help with their nerve pain has been way above our expectations,” Bales said. “Our staff care about their patients and are good at their jobs. We proudly introduce Stacey Wilson today, who recently brought her adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner certification (AGNP-C) background to our Northwest clinic.”
EA treatments involve a series of 16 to 24 injections of a pharmaceutical-grade nutrient blend combined with EA to relieve most symptoms. The high-frequency energy used in the therapy blocks the pain signal in the injured part of the body, providing lasting relief with no recovery needed. The treatments mimic nerve signaling and help the circulation in the patient’s extremities to further promote nerve healing.
The EA treatments reduce edema, inflammation, and analgesia, facilitating metabolism in the neuropathic extremity. Additionally, it stimulates peripheral nerves to relieve pain while increasing local blood circulation to provide symptomatic relief of chronic pain. EA therapy is covered by major insurance companies, Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA.
“This therapy is one of the oldest medical treatments available,” said Stacey Wilson, AGNP-C. “Ben Franklin used an electrical device to treat frozen shoulder symptoms, and it spares your organs in helping the patient become more mobile.” A certified adult-gerontology nurse practitioner is an APRN specializing in treating adults and geriatric populations with more than 500 hours of supervised clinical experience.
“My background is in Medical Oncology so I’ve caused quite a bit of chemotherapy induced neuropathy through necessary cancer treatments,” Wilson said in an interview. “I am very excited to join Nerve Renewal so I can help relieve neuropathic pain and provide needed comfort to increase the quality of life for my patients. Electric currents are the oldest documented form of medical treatment going back to ancient times. The medical term is Electroanalgesia and with advanced computer technology we are able to capitalize on the electrical properties of the body and successfully treat neuropathic pain. It is my pleasure to work with such a dedicated team at Nerve Renewal and I look forward to heading up the new Midwest City clinic soon.”
The clinics provide non-invasive treatments for neuropathy and nerve pain, relieving pain or tingling in the feet and hands. The three clinics treat peripheral neuropathy, chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy, phantom limb syndrome, and post-surgical nerve pain conditions.
Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that often results from damage to nerves located outside of the brain and spinal cord. It can cause pain, numbness, and weakness in the patient’s hands and feet, affecting walking or digestion. Peripheral neuropathy is typically caused by diabetes, chemotherapy, or trauma to the nerve endings, with sufferers describing the symptoms as stabbing pain or burning sensations.
The 16 Northwest Oklahoma City Chamber members attending welcomed the Northwest Nerve Renewal Neuropathy Clinic with their traditional ribbon cutting for their newest member after everyone gathered and introduced themselves. Several members emphasized how the Chamber is proactive in helping small businesses in the area with services and growing.
In addition to the northwest location, the clinics are at 9821 S May Ave., Suite B, in OKC and 4019 N Flood Ave. in Norman. The newest is being prepared for a June opening in Midwest City at 8121 National Drive in the M.D. Medical Tower, a shared medical building. With the expansion of clinics in the greater Oklahoma City area, more patients can access this innovative treatment and renew their quality of life.
Visit our website at: https://nerverenewalnow.com/

OKPOP Foundation Names Blake Shelton as Honorary Chair for Fundraising Campaign

Country music superstar and beloved television personality Blake Shelton has partnered with the OKPOP Foundation to be an Honorary Campaign Chairperson and the face of the Foundation’s fundraising campaign to complete the OKPOP Museum. Through this partnership, Shelton will bring awareness about the project and encourage others to help raise the $30 million needed to complete the exhibit design, construction, and installation for a late 2024 opening date.
“Music is my livelihood, and Oklahoma is my home—my heart. So, when I heard more about OKPOP’s mission to inspire and empower young Oklahoma musicians or artists like me, I knew I had to get involved,” said Shelton. “OKPOP is telling the stories of Oklahomans who have impacted and continue to influence pop culture in such a cool, innovative way, folks from all over the county are going to love it.”
Executive Director of the OKPOP Museum, Jeff Moore, and Simmons Bank Senior Vice President of Business Development, D. Scott Petty, the OKPOP Foundation Chair, are thrilled to have Blake Shelton as the OKPOP Foundation’s honorary campaign chair.
“Blake is such a great fit for what this museum represents,” said Jeff Moore, executive director of OKPOP Museum. “A kid with talent and passion from Ada, Oklahoma who goes on to make his dreams come true. Those are the stories we are telling, and those are the kids we want to help pursue their own dreams of making music or films or writing the next big novel. We want them to visit the museum and leave knowing the sky’s the limit.”
Shelton will be lending his name to the project, while also encouraging industry peers and fellow Oklahomans to get involved.
“Blake Shelton’s willingness to publicly embrace the OKPOP Foundation mission—to share Oklahoman’s stories—highlights the importance and global impact,” said Scott Petty, OKPOP Foundation Chair. “His involvement will be the catalyst for everything the foundation has been doing behind the scenes and will ultimately bring this project to fruition.”
OKPOP is in the final stages of exhibit design and is aiming for a late-2024 opening date. The OKPOP Foundation is the OKPOP Museum’s fundraising arm, working in conjunction with the Oklahoma Historical Society. The Foundation’s role is to identify potential funding sources through state and federal allocations, local and national prospective donors, foundations, corporations, grants, and founding memberships to help the OKPOP Museum realize its mission of collecting, preserving, and sharing Oklahoma’s pop culture history.
Along with D. Scott Petty of Simmons Bank, board members for the OKPOP Foundation include Philip Kaiser (Flywheel Events), Tom Evans (Encompass Financial Services), Stuart Hudson (EdibleOKC), Brian Paschal (Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation), Cassie Reese Tipton (CEC), Donna Sharpe (Sharpe House), Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith, John Hickey (Hall Estill), Judy Eason McIntyre (retired Senator), Molly Jarvis (Cherokee Nation Businesses), Adrian Bradley (A&D Sports Management), Amanda Lowe (United States District Court, Northern District of Oklahoma), Jane Mudgett (Speaker, Author, and Coach), and Phil McDonald (AWAL/Sony Music). Ex-Officio members include Abby Kurin (OKPOP Foundation), Jeff Moore, Meg Charron, and Mary Barnes (OKPOP/Oklahoma Historical Society).