Oklahoma's First Ladies launch an elegant OMRF tradition
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OKLAHOMA CITY,
April 8, 2005 – As a parent and a long-time public school teacher,
First Lady Kim Henry holds education near and dear to her heart. And as a
board member and spokesperson for the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
(OMRF), she has made clear that she cares deeply about medical research. So
it should come as no surprise that Henry found a way to unite these two
passions in a one-of-a-kind fundraising event.
This evening, Henry – along with former First
Ladies Cathy Keating, Rhonda Walters, Donna Nigh and Ann Bartlett – hosted
the inaugural Oklahoma First Ladies Gala. The black-tie event took place at
the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club and was jointly presented by
Chesapeake Energy, Devon Energy Corp. and Kerr-McGee.
The first-ever event
raised $300,000 for OMRF, which will be used to support graduate student
scholarships at OMRF.
"The Ph.D. training program at OMRF offers
our state's brightest young minds a chance to become tomorrow's medical
scientists," said Henry. "With this Gala, the other First Ladies and I saw
the chance to help provide top-caliber Oklahoma students with this
unparalleled learning opportunity."
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Three Oklahoma energy companies sponsored the inaugural First Ladies
Gala, a fundraiser for graduate scholarships at the
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Pictured left to right: Chesapeake
Energy senior vice president Tom Price, Jr.,
Donna Nigh, Rhonda Walters, First Lady Kim Henry, Cathy Keating,
Kerr-McGee CEO Luke Corbett and Devon Energy CEO Larry Nichols. |
OMRF president Dr. J. Donald Capra, center, with George Nigh, David
Walters, Governor Brad Henry and Frank Keating at the First Ladies Gala. |
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“The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation is one of the nation's premier
institutions for advancement in the biomedical fields," said Larry
Nichols, chairman and chief executive officer of Oklahoma City-based
Devon Energy Corp. "Oklahoma is fulfilling its potential as a leader in
biomedical research, and our support for OMRF
and the state's future scientists are fundamental as we continue to
develop in this very important field."
"Our state's sons and daughters should not
have to leave Oklahoma to get a top-notch science education," said Aubrey
McClendon, chairman and chief executive officer of Chesapeake Energy.
"Oklahoma's energy companies are proud to join our state's First Ladies in
inaugurating a tradition that will pay dividends for generations to come."
"I commend OMRF for offering our students the opportunity to learn from
some of the world's best scientists and doctors and commend First Lady Kim
Henry for establishing this effort to raise funding for graduate student
scholarships," said Luke R. Corbett, Kerr-McGee
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chairman and chief executive officer. "Kerr-McGee believes in supporting
the communities where we operate around the world, and
providing educational opportunities for our future leaders in healthcare
and medicine is a great way to support our community, our nation and the
world." |
Harrison and Elaine Levy served as chairs of
the inaugural First Ladies Gala, which also honored Presbyterian Health
Foundation President Michael Anderson, Ph.D., with the OMRF Champion of
Health award. At the Gala, OMRF officials also surprised foundation
President J. Donald Capra, M.D., with a new graduate student scholarship
fund named in his honor. They announced that OMRF had already raised over
$750,000 to endow this new fund.
In partnership with the University of
Oklahoma Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, OMRF's graduate education
programs offer scholarships and mentoring for doctoral students. OMRF
currently counts more than 30 Ph.D. students working toward their degrees
under the mentorship of OMRF scientists. The students' work covers a wide
spectrum of research areas, from Alzheimer's disease to the development of
the immune system.
About OMRF:
Chartered in 1946, OMRF (www.omrf.org)
is a nonprofit biomedical research institute dedicated to understanding and
curing human disease. Its scientists focus on such critical research areas
as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, lupus and cardiovascular disease. OMRF is
home to Oklahoma's only member of the National Academy of Sciences.
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