Karen Hoyt, of Tulsa, Okla., lives her life in honor of the stranger who gifted her a second chance at life. Now, an active community volunteer, she encourages those in need of that same gift.
Karen lives every day with a grateful spirit and the heart to be an encouragement and motivation to others. She had always lived a healthy life despite being born with only one kidney. She was active in her community as a volunteer, teacher and Sunday school teacher at her church. In 2010, she learned that her liver was failing, and she was later diagnosed with the Hepatitis C virus.
She was sent home thinking her days were numbered. Despite this news, she clung to her faith and began eating even healthier than she had before the diagnosis. Luckily, antiviral medication came out and she was cured of Hepatitis C by 2011 but end stage liver failure still loomed over her.
Karen went back to her career as a teacher and continued to live as healthy as possible. During one of her screenings, the doctor determined that her damaged liver was not removing toxins from her blood, which diminished her mental capabilities. She also became limited on what she could do as she frequently had muscle fatigue, liver pain and joint pain.
After learning to manage her pain, Karen’s luck began to worsen. When she was at one of her regular check-ups, the doctors found a cancerous tumor on her liver. Her doctors recommended a liver transplant, and in the midst of the listing process, she began to make end-of-life plans with her daughter. To cheer their spirits, they began to look online at stories of hope from others who had received a transplant. Karen was encouraged, and continued to eat healthy and walk when she could.
When Karen was fully listed on the transplant waiting list, she was humbled to think that at someone’s greatest crisis in life they would make a decision which would eventually grant her many more years to live. She was so humbled that she called her transplant coordinator and almost asked them to remove her from the list.
As she waited for a second chance at life, Karen underwent many procedures to shrink the tumor on her liver so that she could remain on the transplant waiting list. Twice, Karen was called in hopes that she would receive her liver, but neither were a good fit.
However, on April 13, 2015, Karen received her liver from a selfless donor and learned that her donor was the same age as many of the students she was teaching in school. Karen had the privilege of advising one more English class full of seniors after her transplant.
Karen continues her work with senior high school students. To this day, Karen volunteers at the school she taught at for many years and at the hospital with people who have just received a transplant.
Karen is a motivation and encouragement to many. She encourages others waiting to receive their life saving transplant, and she spends her time teaching nutrition classes. The classes help those struggling with kidney or liver disease learn to eat better in order to live a healthier life.
Driven to honor her donor, Karen participated in the 2016 Transplant Games of America. She began entering 5K runs to raise awareness for organ donation. She also is more adventurous and does things she wouldn’t have tried before to honor him and his life.
Karen has had the opportunity and privilege to be involved in her grandkids lives and is thankful for the chance to be a sister, mother and wife.
While Karen has never had the opportunity to meet her hero’s family, she truly lives her life in honor of the young man who saved her life.
About LifeShare
LifeShare is a nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) dedicated to the recovery of organs and tissue for transplant purposes. We work closely with five transplant centers and 145 healthcare organizations in the state of Oklahoma to facilitate donation. Additionally, we strive to raise awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation through public education.
For more information about LifeShare, please visit:
www.LifeShareOK.org.

Ann Elizabeth Tebow gazed into the stall at her American Quarter Horse Vinny.
It was still a few hours before Tebow, 18, was scheduled to show the 8-year-old gray gelding in ranch riding prelims on Monday during the Built Ford Tough American Quarter Horse Youth Association (AQHYA) World Championship Show at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City.
“I looked at him in the stall earlier today and I thought, ‘I want to do this for you, I want to do good so that you know that you deserve it,’ because he does. He works really hard for me,” said the recent Piedmont High School graduate.
Vinny, whose registered name is “FS Vintage Sidekick,” and Tebow are an example of the teamwork between rider and horse displayed at horse shows and other equestrian events throughout Oklahoma.
“People don’t realize how they have their own personalities,” she said of horses. “They’re just like people because everyone’s different and they each have their own little quirks. It took us a long time to get on the same page.”
Not only did they make it to the same page but on Tuesday evening Tebow and Vinny won the 2016 world championship in ranch riding.
“That’s what makes this so much more special is because we did get through those hard times,” Tebow said Wednesday. “It shows that if you work hard and keep going you can accomplish anything and your dreams can come true. Everything we went through together just made it that much sweeter.”
The Built Ford Tough AQHYA World Championship Show is the pinnacle event for American Quarter Horse exhibitors ages 18 and under around the world, who must qualify for the event by earning a predetermined number of points to compete in each of the classes representing halter, English and western disciplines.
The Built Ford Tough AQHYA World Championship Show, which continues through Saturday (August 13) has an economic impact on the Oklahoma City area of more than $10.3 million. The show features more than 2,180 entries from the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom with exhibitors competing for 35 world championships.
Within all those entries are 761 exhibitors and 1,096 horses. That’s a lot of teamwork between horses and riders – and a lot of personalities.
Tebow, the 2015-2016 AQHYA National President, has shown Vinny, owned by her mother Vicki Tebow, for a just a few years now and they didn’t click right away.
Some friendships – including many that last for a long time – take time to develop.
“The problem is that we have similar personalities,” she said. “We’re both curious and like to think a lot about things. He’s really curious so when we get in the show pen sometimes he’s like ‘Oh what’s over here?’ and I’m like ‘Vinny, we’ve got to pay attention right now, we’re supposed to be working.’”
There were times Tebow thought briefly about giving up. Instead, they persevered and got to know each other.
“He’s too smart for his own good, which` is really cool in a horse,” said Tebow, who in the fall will attend Texas A&M University, studying biomedical sciences and competing on the equestrian team. “I’ve heard the great ones have the most personality and so you’ve kind of got to learn how to deal with that. We were constantly trying to outthink him, but I’ve just had to learn that you have to let Vinny do his thing and you’re kind of along for the ride.”
A year ago during the Ford Youth World they “got on the same page” and that resulted in them making the 2015 finals of the ranch riding. They began to find success together.
“The ranch riding class was developed to showcase the ranching heritage of the American Quarter Horse,” said Sarah Davisson of the AQHA. “It includes different maneuvers a horse would use on a ranch on any given day. They have to do a certain pattern in the arena and be scored on the different elements of that pattern.”
This week, Tebow and Vinny again qualified for the ranch riding finals and finished on top with the world championship in ranch riding.
However, she points out that success in the arena is just one part of this special team.
“Now when I ride other horses it makes me appreciate him for all the things that he has taught me,” she said.
Tebow will take those lessons learned with her to Texas A&M where she will compete on the equestrian team.
Davisson of the AQHA, said Tebow, “definitely embodies a great youth.” This summer, the Oklahoma teen was with Team USA for the American Quarter Horse Youth World Cup in Australia.
“Not only does she show and compete on the world level,” Davisson said, “her leadership skills are amazing. She’s also a great role model to the youth coming up in the Association.”
Sometimes that is conveyed verbally and other times through actions. Take for example, Tebow’s reaction a couple of minutes after the ranch riding prelimins as their score was announced. Still horseback, Tebow, with tears welling in her eyes, leaned forward in the saddle, hugged Vinny’s neck with both arms then patted his neck with her right hand.
“It was just like more a sigh of relief that, ‘OK I did you right, I didn’t’ get in your way, I didn’t let you down,’” she said. “I really wanted that for Vinny.”
Partners helping make the Built Ford Tough AQHYA World Championship Show possible are Ford, Bank of America, B&W Trailer Hitches, Farnam, John Deere, Justin Boots, Markel, Merial, Montana Silversmiths, Nutrena, Professional’s Choice, Cripple Creek, SmartPak and Wrangler, along with event sponsors, including Noble Outfitters, Metro Golf Cars, Oklahoma State Fair Park, Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Four Sixes Ranch.

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn  t4z@aol.com

Some Florida resorts are located amid a massive amount of traffic and tourist activity. The Marriott Pompano Beach Resort and Spa is somewhat off the beaten track, and is boon for motorists, with their own transportation.
While a stroll within a mile of the property can be charming, there are not many cafes, restaurants or shops within the immediate area. If your desire is to get away from it all, and just ensconce yourself in a comfortable setting with pristine and maintained beaches, 2 pools, 2 towers of accommodations and delicious eating experiences, Marriott Pompano Beach Resort and Spa may be your ideal.
When you consider a visit to Florida at any time of year, it is important to keep in mind the annual hurricane season from mid-summer through September. Of course these days, predictable weather patterns of past years seem to be unpredictable. It’s a boon to Pompano that they are far North of Miami Beach with its recent health headlines. It also is North of Fort Lauderdale, and a comfortable distance from its neighbor Lauderdale-By-the-Sea, which is a more active community with its many eateries and entertainment options. Again motorists will find it near enough to quench a typical Florida tourist’s appetite.
Near Pompano is the Hillsboro Lighthouse, privately owned and only open for tours at certain times, being a coast guard operated property. Upcoming tour dates for 2016 are: September 10, October 8, November 6, and December 3.
Happily, sequestered in your ninth floor ocean front room with balcony, you might find the sporadic afternoon thunderstorm a real 3-D entertainment, more impactful than the best free action disaster movie, shown on your large in room TV screen. Be sure and inquire about a corner suite room, for added luxury. As with many upscale hotels, housekeeping may be sporadic, even when alerting them to your out of room schedule.
Check in time is listed at 4 pm, but as someone I know had to do, you might have to wait until 6 pm, which will give you time to explore the property, Atlantic Ocean beach, Spa, and exercise room or grab a bite to eat.
McCoy’s restaurant both comfortably inside or out by the active pools, offers a variety of delectable meal options and beverages with congenial wait staff. If you’re a fan of specially cocktails, with the proper and courtesy instruction, they follow through with your requests most satisfactorily.
Florida still offers what many sun worshipers require and the family welcoming Marriott’s Pompano Beach Resort, might be your new favorite Florida oasis for you and your extended family.

For more information and reservations: www.marriott.com/fllpm

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
http://realtraveladventures.com/author/zinn/
http://www.examiner.com/travel-in-oklahoma-city/terry-zinn
www.new.okveterannews.com – www.martinitravels.com

Story and photo by Mike Lee, Staff Writer

For the past 57 seasons, Zee Howell has faithfully manned Section 9, Row 60 seats 23 and 24 at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
The 94-year-old is one of the university’s oldest season ticket holders and he plans on starting his 58th OU football season when Louisiana-Monroe comes to town on Sept. 10 at 6 p.m.
But Oklahoma football is only part of the story when it comes to this former Navy diver.
“OU has given a real good account of theirselves, they sure have,” Howell said sitting in his home that bears a Norman address but has a Goldsby water tower in the front yard.
Howell has seen it all during five decades as a season ticket holder.
He’s gotten a front-row seat to four of the team’s seven national championship runs. He’s seen teams coached by Barry, Bud, Bob and unfortunately Blake.
The Idabel native has written more than his fair share of checks to the university, each more than the last.
So why buy season tickets?
“You get lot better seats,” Howell said with a chuckle. “You come in on game day you may be sitting two blocks up the road.”
One row down and seven seats over sits Howell’s kids.
“He wanted a pair close enough for my brother and I so he could keep an eye on us but we were far enough away we couldn’t bug him,” daughter Valencia Howell says.
The only OU-Texas game Howell has missed was in 1957 when Valencia was born at the old Presbyterian Hospital.
“He still hasn’t forgotten about that. It’s not my fault,” Valencia said in her defense. “My brother was born nine years to the day within two hours of the exact same time. The doctor had gotten hold of (mom) in advance and told her ‘you can go, but don’t get too excited.’”
Game day in the Howell household consists of brewing a pot of strong coffee and reading the newspaper before heading to the stadium early to avoid the traffic. He’ll sit in the stadium well after the game for the same reason.
Now retired, Howell has time on his hands and he doesn’t mind that.
At age 18, Howell completed his Naval training in San Diego just before World War II.
“There was a ship sitting out in the bay and one chief said ‘that old ship is a good working ship that can go to sea and haul three million gallons of oil. Don’t worry about it. The Japanese aren’t worrying about our tankers they want our destroyers,’ Howell remembered a chief saying.
“Guess what? It was the first damn one that got sunk.”
Howell was on that ship – the U.S.S. Neches – in his bunk January 23, 1942 when a Japanese two-man sub followed it out of the Pearl Harbor bay around the defensive netting and kept pace for a few miles before unloading two torpedoes.
December 7, 1941 may have been a day that lived in infamy but it was January 23rd that Howell found himself bobbing in the ocean.
He was one of 56 sailors trapped inside a room in the belly of the ship and the only one who got out of that space.
The next day the U.S.S. Jarvis picked up the 182 survivors and took them back to Pearl Harbor.
After leaving the military Howell went to work at Tinker Field. He got in on the ground floor of the computerization of the base and eventually retired as a civilian second chief.
After that he had plenty of time to devote to his favorite passion – OU sports.
At softball games his seat right behind home plate puts him right in earshot of the umpire, who had better call it fair and square or else Howell lets him know about it.
Howell, also a huge softball fan, has his opinions on many of OU’s coaches.
On OU Softball Coach Patty Gasso, who just led her squad to a third national title:
“She’s earning her money,” he says.
On Bob Stoops: “The success he’s had kind of speaks for itself I guess,” Howell says.
On Athletic Director Joe Castiglione: “Well, he makes a lot of money,” Howell said with a chuckle.
Rain or shine you can expect to see Howell at Owen Field come the second weekend in September.
In his estimation, there’s no place he’d rather be.
And for 58 years now he’s had the best seats in the house.

Adventure Road offers up Oklahoma sights

by Bobby Anderson,
Staff Writer

If you’ve gotten your kicks on Route 66 then you’ll love the drive along I-35.
That’s the thought behind a new Chickasaw Nation tourism campaign centered around the sights, sounds and tastes along the 130-mile stretch of the interstate affectionately called Adventure Road.
Some 230 partners have come together to highlight what’s available to see and do on less than a tank of gas.
Paige Williams is the director of corporate development and tourism for the Chickasaw Nation. She says the initiative highlights parts of Oklahoma some have never seen.
“It’s not just what is around (I-35) but it goes into the communities and cities that are unique destinations and attractions. It’s an initiative to promote people getting out and exploring Oklahoma’s adventures.”
Oklahoma has long been famed as one of the top road-trip destinations in the U.S., featuring a stretch of the iconic Route 66 slicing a winding path straight through the Sooner State. It’s another stretch of highway, however, that is putting Oklahoma on the map for the next generation of leisure travelers.
The state’s Adventure Road corridor – a 130-mile stretch of restaurants, shops, attractions, sporting and entertainment options along and adjacent to Interstate 35 – is making its mark as a top driver in Oklahoma’s growing tourism industry.
Adventure Road, an initiative of the Chickasaw Nation aimed at promoting tourism during the summer vacation season, is in its second year, following a vibrant 2015 travel season.
Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby says the program has been wildly successful and is expanding this year.
“We are very pleased Adventure Road has helped draw more attention to the diverse landscapes, outstanding attractions and retail opportunities this area has to offer,” said Gov. Anoatubby. “We hope to continue that success as we move forward with Adventure Road in 2016.”
SMARI Insights, an independent market research firm, found the Adventure Road initiative generated 385,000 new trips to Oklahoma in 2015, resulting in approximately $647 million in visitor spending from March to September 2015. An evaluation of the initiative’s supporting marketing campaigns showed it generated more than 210 million overall impressions as well as over 230,000 visits to AdventureRoad.com.
Bill Lance, Chickasaw Nation Secretary of Commerce, reiterated the initiative’s main focus for 2016 is to raise awareness of all tourism partners to both in- and out-of-state audiences, but that it will also focus on feedback from travel partners to enhance the experience.
“With tourism as the state’s third-largest industry, it is proven that millions of visitors consider this region to be a top travel destination,” said Lance. “Adventure Road, through the willingness and enthusiasm to collaborate among travel partners, helps visitors realize the hundreds of diverse cultural, entertainment and adventure experiences that await to be explored.”
Adventure Road is a collaborative effort between the Chickasaw Nation and partners, which are comprised of businesses, attractions, organizations, restaurants, shops and boutiques, hotels and bed and breakfasts. The Adventure Road territory follows I-35 from the Red River to just north of Oklahoma City, expanding more than 100 miles east and west.
For the 2016 travel season, the number of Adventure Road partners has grown 53-percent – from 150 at the time of 2015 launch to 230 just one year later – in more than 25 cities. Travel partners consist of both Chickasaw Nation and non-tribal businesses.
This season, visitors also can expect to see a new travel guide and map as well as additions to AdventureRoad.com, including downloadable travel deals and discounts, and more customized travel destinations that target specific areas of interest.
A multimedia campaign will feature Adventure Road collections in major markets throughout Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma. For more information about travel partners, or to plan your own Adventure Road trip, visit adventureroad.com.
The interactive web site allows travelers to create their own custom adventures.
“You can create an itinerary that fits your need and your friends’,” she said. “Maybe you’re a grandparent taking your grandkids on an adventure. It allows you to create this adventure online and you can share it with someone.”
From tours of the Bedre Chocolate Factory to taking a ride on the Air Donkey Zip Line, the web site offers an almost endless list of things to do. And many of the sites have special promotions just for those following Adventure Road.
The second year features a unique CD with travel music to help cruise down the road. Iconic road trip tunes have been redone to keep you company.

Dove Schmidt from Depew, OK, was crowned Ms OK Senior America on June 25.  She will be competing in the National pageant for Ms Senior America in Atlantic City, NJ in October.  The Ms. Senior Oklahoma Foundation is having a CASINO PARTY FUNDRAISER at  the  Quail Springs Grand Tapestry located at 14201 N Kentucky, Oklahoma City,  Oct. 8th  from 6:00 to 9:00 pm with hors d’ oeuvres and beverages. Join us as we help to provide a special send off and encourage her in the final step of competition.

What is your favorite thing about living at Grand Tapestry at Quail Springs?

“I love the pool.  I also like relaxing on the patio with my friends.  It is beautiful here.” Sue Cooper
Resident

“The people here are fabulous!  Everyone goes out of their way to make things great.” Patti Vienup
Resident

“My favorite part is the friendship. There are two women that I do everything with. We call ourselves, The Three Musketeers.” Mary Hendrickson
Resident

“The people here are wonderful.  I love the many activities and I feel like I am living in a 5-star hotel.” Gwyn Walters
Resident