Winter 2022 Vision in Action

Honorees announced for the 37th annual distinguished service awards

Mayor Holt, speaking at the 2021 distinguished service awards 3535 N. Classen Boulevard Oklahoma City, OK 73118

VOLUNTEERS FROM THE WOMEN IN ENERGY ASSOCIATION Leading Oklahoma City’s beautification and environmental stewardship through collaboration, education, and advocacy.

GET INVOLVED THROUGH LITTERBLITZ!

The annual Distinguished Service Awards is an opportunity to recognize individuals and organizations working to improve the beauty and environmental health of Oklahoma City. The Distinguished Service Awards Luncheon is being held March 24, 11:30 a.m., at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club.

Receiving the Mayor’s Award is 84 Hospitality Group, for their efforts volunteering in the community and championing more sustainable business practices. Recognizing the impact of single-use plastics and styrofoam products, they evaluated their business practices to identify ways in which they could reduce their impact on the environment.

Receiving the President’s Special Recognition Award is the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area Tree Canopy Assessment, made possible by the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, Oklahoma City Community Foundation, and Oklahoma Forestry Services. The project provided data for managing central Oklahoma’s urban forest, with a comprehensive study of tree canopy of 536 square miles.

Cox Communications is the recipient of the Aubrey McClendon Corporate Award for their Cox Conserves program. Launched in 2007, this program has the following core goals: send zero waste to landfill by 2024, and to be carbon and water neutral by 2034.

Robbie Kienzle, City of Oklahoma City’s Arts Liaison, is the recipient of the Pendleton Woods Lifetime Achievement Award. With a decades-long career in municipal planning and public art and cultural affairs, she has brought to life many of the public art enhancements that beautify Oklahoma City.

Two separate organizations are receiving Community Spirit awards: the Metro Park Neighborhood Association and Lillian Timber Farms. The Metro Park Neighborhood Association has mobilized to connect neighbors in their district while beautifying their corner of the city. Through median beautification and litter cleanups, they have improved their shared spaces, bringing neighbors together. Lillian Timber Farms is a nonprofit organization that is creating community through teaching and learning sustainable farming practices. They were founded as a response to food insecurity in northeast Oklahoma City, and with a team of volunteers, have built and sustained several community gardens since 2019.

Donnie Wilson is the recipient of the Volunteer Spirit award. We were first introduced to Donnie when he was recognized by KFOR’s Pay it 4Ward series for his litter clean ups in the 39th Street District. He frequently volunteers his time beautifying the district and keeping it clear from litter.

Restore OKC is the recipient of the Visionary Award, as they are bridging relationships of reconciliation for restorative justice by serving the physical, social, emotional, educational & economic needs of neighbors in Northeast Oklahoma City.

The presenting sponsor for the 37th Annual Distinguished Service Awards is W&W | AFCO Steel.

To learn more about these honorees of the 37th Annual Distinguished Service Awards and purchase tickets, you can visit www.okcbeautiful.com/luncheon.

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Winter 2022 Vision in Action

NONPROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID OKLAHOMA CITY, OK PERMIT NO. 235

Join us for the annual volunteer event of the season! Oklahoma City gets a spring cleaning every year through the annual LitterBlitz campaign. Volunteer groups come together to clean up litter at locations throughout the City. These volunteer events provide an opportunity for team building, meeting new people, and coming together for a common goal.

3535 North Classen Blvd • (405) 525-8822 • info@okcbeautiful.com • OKCBeautiful.com • @OKCBeautiful

HELP KEEP YOUR CORNER OF THE CITY BEAUTIFUL - ADOPT A PARK! Medical community neighborhood association members, adopters of the nichols court park

Adopt-A-Park is a city-wide program that enables volunteer groups to adopt a park, median or greenbelt to maintain. This program gives everyone a chance to help beautify Oklahoma City’s public parks and spaces and enhance our city. Volunteers can choose to pick up litter, mow, or make city-approved landscape improvements on a year-round basis.

Each group is recognized with a sign acknowledging its efforts in its park or median.

Parks are currently adopted by a variety of groups, including businesses, nonprofit organizations, families, individuals, schools, and more! All it takes is a desire to help your community and a commitment to volunteering.

This program, founded in 1981, started with eight groups participating. Since that time, hundreds of groups have adopted parks throughout the City, committing to helping beautify our parks and public spaces.

You organize a team, and we’ll provide you the supplies and assist with coordination! In 2021, more than 4,000 volunteers and 225 community groups participated.

OMNI OKLAHOMA CITY HOTEL VOLUNTEERS

TESTIMONIALS FROM 2021:

“2021 was TeamLogicIT’s first year to participate in OKC Beautiful’s LitterBlitz. We were very pleased with how organized everything was, making our volunteering experience most pleasant. We will definitely volunteer next campaign!” - Barbara, TeamLogicIT

“I love working for a company that wants to make our community better. When I asked my co-workers if they wanted to pick up trash at parks near our branches, they were in! Thank you OKC Beautiful for making volunteering so easy!” - Sarah, WeOkie Federal Credit Union “For LitterBlitz, we decided to work with our friends at The Homeless Alliance. We love KAPPA DELTA CHI getting down to The Homeless Alliance to help their team serve meals when we have the ALUMNI CHAPTER chance, and we knew that they were doing all that they could during the pandemic to keep those meal services going while keeping clients safe and socially distanced. When they shifted their meals to grab and go packages, we knew that they would need a little help keeping the campus clean from to go packages. They had their hands full so we wanted to help out.” David, 84 Hospitality CORNERSTONE EYECARE

We hope you will join us for LitterBlitz in 2022!

To sign up, visit www.okcbeautiful.com or contact natalie@okcbeautiful.com.

THE CALEB EFFECT VOLUNTEERS

Join the effort to help keep our parks clean and beautiful! To see about adopting a park near you, visit www.okcbeautiful.com/programs/adopt-a-park or contact natalie@okcbeautiful.com.

IDEX ENERGY VOLUNTEERS

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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Hardy Watkins, President Cynthia Brindley Elizabeth Dalton Marla Freeman Ashley Howard Glen Maynard BOARD OF DIRECTORS Tara LaClair Sam Merchant Jeff Oakley Jeff Reading Amanda Riggs John Robberson EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lisa B. Synar OKLAHOMA REDBUD Advances in Dentistry / Dr. Corbyn Rhodes AT&T Bank of Oklahoma B.D. Eddie Enterprises Cynthia & Jerry Brindley Robert & Karen Browne Caston Construction Chickasaw Nation Clifford L. Knight Foundation Terri Cooper Dental Depot / Dr. Glenn Ashmore Devon Energy Corporation Jim & Christy Everest The First State Bank / GBR Properties, Inc. Floyd Bergen Trust Susan Bergen Inasmuch Foundation Jean I. Everest Foundation Don Karchmer Don Kastens The Kirkpatrick Family Fund Katie McClendon Newmark Grubb Levy Strange Beffort Keep America Beautiful Keep Oklahoma Beautiful McLaughlin Family Foundation Midfirst Bank Jeaneen Naifeh Larry & Polly Nichols Northpark Merchants Assoc.

Jeff & Valerie Oakley Oakley’s Landscape Oklahoma DEQ OK Dept. of Transportation Oklahoma State Fair Penn Square Mall Potts Family Foundation Quail Creek Bank Linda & Steve Slawson Sprouts Total Environment Urban Lawn & Landscape Valliance Bank Waste Management of OKC W&W Steel / Rick Cooper MIGHTY OAK Mark Beffort Don Kaspereit Bolen Nelson Northrop Grumman Weeders and Seeders ROYAL CYPRESS American Fidelity Foundation Ann Lacy Foundation Richard Clements Coyle Enterprises Janie & Bill Comstock Crowe & Dunlevy Elizabeth Dalton Ann Felton Gilliand Charles Givens David & Alice Hager Frank & Cathy Keating Cliffod L. Knight Foundation Love Meyer Family Foundation McAfee & Taft Medallion Group Metro Mark Realtors / Dick & Patti Marshall Glen & Roxie Maynard Valerie Naifeh David Neff Oklahoma Natural Gas Presbyterian Health Foundation Phillips Murrah P.C. The Records-Johnston Family Foundation Remington Park Republic Services G. Calvin & Carla Sharpe Lee Allan Smith Roy & Bev Smith Spencer & Holly Smith Visionary Women Hardy & Kari Watkins Williams, Box, Forshee, and Bullard, P.C. Don Zachritz C. Michael Zeeck

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“VEGGIES & VITAMINS” LESSONS TEACH STUDENTS THE VALUE OF VEGETABLES

We ended the fall semester of the OKC Harvest program with a lesson on “Veggies and Vitamins.” 900 students learned about the many nutrients in our vegetables and got to taste them by eating a yummy winter stir-fry containing the vegetables that they helped to grow. We joined forces with PE teachers to set up a kitchen in the gyms and welcomed every class in the schools to learn about nutrition concepts while watching a cooking demonstration.

Students tasted the winter stir fry, containing many healthy root vegetables and greens.

Following the tasting, they documented their experience and had the opportunity to be “interviewed” as food critics.

The stir fry was very popular!

All students, with very few exceptions, tried their vegetables, a large majority enjoyed it, and several asked for more. Many students even asked us for the recipe. Some of the students got to try these veggies for the first time!

Veggie Stir Fry Ingredients Carrots Broccoli Scallions Chard Bok Choy Spinach Kale Garlic Veggie Broth

When students get to participate in growing healthy foods, they get a sense of ownership and delight in eating those foods.

One student even said, “kale is my favorite,” and another said “the stir fry was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.”

Three cheers for kiddos trying new things and growing a love for healthy habits!

Join us for sustainability social hour

Sustainability Social Hour is new program uplifting environmental stewards. Each session is centered around networking with those who have a passion for and want to learn more about environmental stewardship topics. Each sessions features a Q&A session with a guest speaker.

Sustainability Social Hours are every second Wednesday of the month, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. Location changes each month. Visit okcbeautiful. com/sustainability-social-hour to see upcoming sessions and guest speakers.

ECO SPOTLIGHT:

DR. TAMMY GRAY-STEELE & WOMEN IN AG Dr. Tammy Gray-Steele saw a need for minority women in agriculture to be recognized, respected, and

assisted by the United States Department of Agriculture. Because of this, she took her passions for agriculture, education, and community and founded the National Women in Agriculture Association (NWIAA), where she continues to serve as Executive Director.

In 2008, NWIAA was established and called Oklahoma City its home. The organization has more than 84,000 members and followers across the United States.

Members have access to networking, advocacy, and educational resources and participate in farm assistance programs that allow them to retain, develop and become prosperous farm businesses. The mission of NWIAA is to save lives and eliminate poverty by increasing the availability of fresh, locally grown foods while expanding economic opportunities. Their vision is to provide vital opportunities for rural and urban communities so as to equip them for tomorrow while engaging them with the resources they need today.

Born and raised on a farm near Wewoka, Gray-Steele left Oklahoma after graduation to pursue a dual education and business career in New York City. Armed with the legal degree she obtained from New York University Law School and the requisite legal business experience she acquired on Manhattan’s Wall Street, she returned home to her family farm, and started to give back to the Oklahoma rural communities.

She has dedicated her career to building up minority women in agriculture through the efforts of NWIAA. Their extensive work includes creating sustainable jobs in agriculture, improving economic development, and increasing the number of minority farmers through workforce development and education. In addition to their work developing agriculture workforce, they provide youth civic engagement and after-school programming to develop an engaged and confident next generation. Students participate in needs-based projects in the community and learn a variety of skills.

Their Oklahoma City headquarters, located at N Martin Luther King Ave. and NE 16th Street, also serves as a local fresh produce source. This is a vital need, as their location in northeast Oklahoma City is in a food desert area, as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture. The community gardens on-site are free to the public and offer a variety of produce options.

They plan to expand these offerings by planting an orchard later this year.

Dr. Gray-Steele’s success with NWIAA has not come without challenges, as she is consistently advocating for support at a local, state, and national level.

Through this, she comes back to a central inspiration and motivation for her work. “Children are my inspiration,” said Gray-Steele.

Her upcoming projects include developing a Wednesday Talk Show (podcast) and Third Thursday Virtual Outreach Workshops. We are grateful to Dr. Tammy Gray-Steele and her work developing the future leaders of agriculture!

Learn more about the organization at www.nwiaa.org.

TREE GIVEAWAY WITH SOCIAL GREENERY

Thanks to the generosity of Social Greenery, we were able to provide 120 free leyland cypresses to 28 residents of Oklahoma City! These trees were once-loved Christmas trees that were housed throughout the metro area during the holiday season. Once the season ended, the trees were picked up and donated for planting across the city!

Not only does this program add to the tree canopy of Oklahoma City, it also provides a sustainable option for holiday trees and defers materials being sent to the landfill after the season. The program is quite popular, and all trees were claimed in less than 20 minutes of promoting the sign-up option.

From Social Greenery’s website: “We realized that our Christmas traditions are so very far from aligning to our family values. We believe in nurturing, sustainability, intentional choices, careful plans and modeling responsible behavior. We believe that the slower, more difficult path is often the right one. What on earth were we doing throwing a tree away every year? That’s when we knew there had to be a better way forward. When we really started examining our family traditions, what we found was astonishing: Our traditions just didn’t match our values, not even a little. Social Greenery is here to show you that sustainability doesn’t equal austerity, and that the hard work of a more eco-friendly future must include those family traditions we hold dear.”

You can learn more about Social Greenery and their services and events at www. socialgreenery.com.

YOGA IN THE PARK

Yoga in the Park started in 2017 as a way to encourage OKC citizens to explore Oklahoma City’s various parks while getting active and outdoors.

Yoga in the Park is FREE to attend and is open to people of all ages and abilities. Classes are hosted April through October on the first and third Wednesdays from 6 to 7:00 p.m.

SAVE THE DATES!

April 6 - Bluff Creek Park April 20 - Washington Park May 4 - Woodson Park May 18 - McKinley Park June 1 - Dolese Youth Park June 15 - Earlywine Park July 6 - John F. Kennedy Park July 20 - South Rotary Park August 3 - Will Rogers Park August 17 - Trosper Park September 7 - Wiley Post Park September 21 - Edgemere Park October 5 - Medley Park October 19 - Stars & Stripes Park

View the schedule and additional information at www.okcbeautiful.com/programs/yoga-in-the-park.

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