VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT:
MELANIE BLACK Nonprofi t: Parkinson Foundation of Oklahoma An estimated 60,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinson’s each year, according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. However, it is likely that thousands of cases go undetected, and no cure exists. That makes the work of volunteers like Tulsan Melanie Black essential to help raise funds for research and local resources for patients and caregivers.
TULSA GIVES
GIRL SCOUTS TO AWARD 12 SCHOLARSHIPS
The Juliette Low Leadership Society will award scholarships to 12 graduating Girl Scouts from northeastern Oklahoma at the society’s April 20 luncheon. The annual luncheon benefits the Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma and features special guest speaker Jen Bricker, an acrobat and gymnast known for her athletic success despite being born without legs. Susie Collins Hentschel is the event’s honorary chair and will be recognized at the luncheon. The Juliette Low Leadership Society raises funds to support Girl Scout leadership experiences and opportunities in eastern Oklahoma. Tickets are still available for the luncheon at Southern Hills Country Club, 2636 E. 61st St. Visit gseok.org for more information.
What spurred your interest in the foundation? My husband Don, who has Parkinson’s, first heard of the Parkinson Foundation of Oklahoma (PFO) in fall 2014, and we attended its annual conference here in Tulsa. It was about that time the Tulsa branch was formed, and the first walk was held in spring 2015. We worked to get “Team Black” together to walk, collected donations, bought all our members a team shirt and had a wonderful time at the walk. From there, we never looked back. What is your greatest passion for PFO? It is great to be able to help spread information and give support to patients and caregivers; so many people have been affected by this disease. I have the opportunity to help give people hope, improve their daily lives and talk to families about what to expect in deep brain stimulation surgery, which is one of few surgical treatments for Parkinson’s that involves placing electrodes in the brain and stimulating a specific area to help alleviate symptoms. Sometimes I just let a caregiver know they are not alone. These are the highs of volunteering for PFO. Don and I recently started a Young Onset Parkinson’s Support Group to help some of the younger patients and caregivers. It has been very rewarding. — JUDY LANGDON
Members of “Team Black” at the 2016 Parkinson’s 5K
COURTESY MELANIE BLACK
PARKINSON’S RALLY AND 5K 1-4 p.m. • April 23 Mabee Center, 7777 S. Lewis Ave. Free registration. Benefits Parkinson Foundation of Oklahoma. events.parkinsonoklahoma.com/tulsarally
Steve Bradshaw, co-chair of the 2016 Tulsa Area United Way campaign; Libby Johnson, recipient of the annual Clydella Hentschel Award for Women in Leadership; Dave Hentschel, husband of Clydella (now deceased); Susan Crenshaw, chairwoman of the TAUW Women’s Leadership Council; and Marla Bradshaw, co-chair of the 2016 campaign.
UNITED WAY CELEBRATES 2016 CAMPAIGN The Tulsa Area United Way honored its leading supporters and volunteers at the Live United Awards and Luncheon on Feb. 21. Several companies and organizations received awards during the annual event before more than 900 guests at the Cox Business Center. The local United Way also celebrated the success of its 2016 campaign, which resulted in $25,323,712 for the community, exceeding its goal by nearly a half million dollars. “The 2016 campaign was highly successful due to the strong leadership of our volunteers and contributions by nearly 40,000 individuals,” says Mark Graham, president and CEO of the Tulsa Area United Way. Co-chairs of the 2016 campaign were Marla and Steve Bradshaw. “This campaign was truly a community-wide endeavor and proof that Tulsa is one of the nation’s most generous cities,” says Marla Bradshaw, a community advocate. Steve Bradshaw is president and CEO of BOK Financial. The local United Way’s most prestigious honor for an individual went to community advocate Libby Johnson, who received the Clydella Hentschel Award for Women in Leadership. Johnson has served as a leader and champion of women and African Americans in Tulsa and northeast Oklahoma for several decades. She is a charter member of the Women’s Leadership Council, and, along with her husband, Michael Johnson, has been a member of the United Way’s Alexis de Tocqueville Society for 17 years. Libby also served on the TAUW board of directors. “Libby’s contributions in the Tulsa area have been nothing short of exceptional, and for the people she has served, inspirational,” Graham says. “She embodies the leadership, commitment and passion required of the Clydella Hentschel Award, and has fully assumed the role as a leader among women in our community began many years ago by Clydella herself.” Other 2016 campaign award winners were announced at the February event. Now, the TAUW looks forward to its 2017 campaign, which will publicly kick off in August. Chairman of the 2017 campaign is John Hewitt, president and CEO of Matrix Service Co. For more information on the Tulsa Area United Way and its 58 partner agencies, visit tauw.org or call 918-583-7171. TulsaPeople.com
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