PERSPECTIVE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU
®
September 20, 2013
Oklahoma Farming and Ranching Foundation donates $100,000 to help protect students during severe weather The Oklahoma Farming and Ranching Foundation, in conjunction with Oklahoma Farm Bureau, announced a $100,000 donation to help install storm shelters in Oklahoma schools during a press conference at the state Capitol, Sept. 4. Rep. Mark McBride and Rep. Jon Echols accepted the donation on behalf of Shelter Oklahoma Schools, an Oklahoma charity established to build storm shelters in schools in the aftermath of the devastating May 2013 tornadoes in central Oklahoma. “The foundation commends Shelter Oklahoma Schools for developing a private sector solution to install storm shelters in our schools around the state,” said Jeramy Rich, president of the Oklahoma Farming and Ranching Foundation. “Keeping our schools and communities safe is so critical, and we are honored to be able to assist in the effort.” The donation was made possible by farmers and ranchers from across the state and country who generously donated to a tornado relief fund established by the Oklahoma Farming and Ranching Foundation. “The level of support we have received from fellow Oklahomans and from across the country has been extremely humbling,” Rich said. “The farmers and ranchers who made these contributions have suffered their own natural disasters at some point, and it says a lot that they stepped up to assist in our state’s time of need.”
Friend Public Schools is the first recipient of funds from the donation. The school, located about four miles northeast of Chickasha, will receive $25,000 to help with the cost of installing a storm shelter. Students at Friend Schools have raised more than $25,000 on their own this past year, and Superintendent Alton Rawlins said the Oklahoma Farming and Ranching Foundation donation through Shelter Oklahoma School allows the district to begin work on the shelter immediately. Friend Public Schools broke ground on the new shelter Sept. 13. “We were waiting to reach the $50,000 mark in our fundraising efforts to begin construction on the shelter,” Rawlins said. “This donation means we can move forward with our plans and hopefully complete the project before storm season next spring.” The Oklahoma Farming and Ranching Foundation was established to improve lives of rural Oklahomans through education and outreach. The severe storms are a reminder of how important it is to help others when tragedy strikes.
Rep. Jon Echols explains Shelter Oklahoma Schools’ purpose during a press conference, Sept. 4, at the state Capitol.
Emily Ortega, a kindergartner from Chickasha, assists with the ground-breaking ceremony at Friend Public Schools, Sept. 13. Pictured with Ortega are (from left) OKFB President Mike Spradling, Rep. Scott Biggs, Sen. Ron Justice and Rep. Mark McBride.
OKFB Convention set for Nov. 15-17 Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s 72nd Annual Meeting is scheduled for Nov. 15-17, at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in Norman. This year’s theme is “Deep Roots, New Heights.” Farm Bureau members from across the state will meet to conduct annual business activity and vote on policy issues for the next state legislative session. Convention
highlights include county and state awards presentations, a presidential election, the election of three district directors and selection of delegates for the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention. Watch for more convention details in upcoming issues of Perspective and on OKFB’s website and Facebook page.