Annual Chamber event is Saturday, Feb. 24

Editor’s Note: The Free-Lance will be sharing some information about some of the citizens who were nominated for the “Henryettan of the Year Award,” which will be presented Saturday, Feb. 24. Who will receive it? Be sure to be in attendance this year!

– Henryetta Chamber of Commerce Director Genny Mooney reminds everyone that the annual banquet is fast approaching. The event, “An Evening with the Stars,” is Saturday, Feb. 24.

“Tickets are going fast, so if you haven’t gotten yours yet you need to get with me ASAP to secure yours,” Mooney said. “We look forward to seeing everyone there.”

Mooney added the regular Chamber meeting will return in March at Shoney’s.

The 109th banquet is presented by the Henryetta Chamber of Commerce, along with Silver Sponsors First National Bank & Trust, Henryetta Free-Lance, Green Country Technology Center and ecoLINK fiber. Doors open Feb. 24, at 6:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 7 p.m. Individual ticket price is $40 per person.

Special guests will be the Henryetta Jazz Band, and MaKayla Baxter.

The Henryettan of the Year Award, given by the Henryetta Free-Lance will also be announced during the evening. This year, there were numerous nominations made for the prestigious award.

Over the next few editions, we will be sharing information about some of the nominees, who may or may not have made the ‘cut’ and their work around the community.

Their efforts do not go unnoticed, so we wanted to share what they do to make the Henryetta com- munity a better place. The information about the nominee is from just one of those submissions: — James McCullough James is the true meaning of a servant and having a servant’s heart. He is the hardest working person I know. Everything James does is to help others.

He is very active in his church which serves so many of our community that don’t necessarily attend the church.

1. James leads our drive thru Thanksgiving dinner that serves 250 300 people. He has led this mission for several years. Not many people would work this hard for others during the holiday.

2. The Boy Scouts and cub scouts meet in our church and James has made sure all of their needs are met and is available as needed.

3. The Lion’s Club Christmas Baskets are assembled and given out at our church. James is very involved with helping where needed and making sure all of their needs are met as well.

4. There is an elementary group of 20+ children that get picked up at school on Wednesdays during the school year. James makes sure the kids get picked up, are safe while in our facility, decorates for Vacation Bible School, Christmas Programs and stocks a store inside our church for the children to get presents for their families at Christmas time. The amazing part of our children’s program is most of the kids are not members of our church. James feels very strong about giving children a fun and safe place to come to learn about Jesus. This group of children have day camps through the summer as well.

5. James (and his wife) work very hard keeping the Tennis program alive and well for this community which requires working on fundraising and keeping the courts maintained and ready for meets.

6. James works for the Henryetta Education Foundation by fundraising, being an active member and doing whatever it takes to keep the foundation going to serve the teachers in our community.

I truly believe James McCullough exceeds the reason for being honored as The Henryettan of the year!

— Tricia Bear

This letter is to recommend Tricia Bear to you as an exceptional candidate for the 2023 Nomination for Henryettan of the Year. Tricia has been a key leader in the VFW Post 539 for the past five years serving as the Veteran Service Officer and during that time, I have had many opportunities to witness her skills and highest priority in changing the lives of veterans and the community of Henryetta.

Mrs. Bear is an excellent communicator, consistently keeping others informed and engaged. She excels at teamwork and helping to foster a strong team morale. She has a very strong work ethic and can be trusted to maintain a high standard of performance. She has exceptional organizational abilities and follows rules and guidelines through a systematic approach. Mrs. Bear displays excellent attention to detail. She is extremely reliable and can be depended upon to continuously perform at a high level. Tricia is very knowledgeable about VA benefits and helping improve veteran’s quality of life as well as devoting her life to community service.

Tricia effectively manages the Feed the Vets Program for veterans and their dependents every 90 days. She retired from the military (Marines/Army) after 21 years of active duty service. She is a volunteer for OSUIT Pete’s Pantry in Okmulgee where she has donated hundreds of dollars of clothing to help college students meet their educational goals. Tricia has also assisted 350 veterans in Oklahoma filing for VA disability claims including paying for all of the postage, and providing assistance to veterans on their VA benefits.

I have no reservations in giving Mrs. Bear my highest recommendation. for Henryettan of the year.

—

Shannon Frair

Over the past ten months, I have seen first-hand how hard she works for this community, and the passion she has for serving others.

Rotary’s motto is Service Above Self, a characteristic Shannon embodies wholeheartedly. From planning Rotary’s events, including their annual disc golf tournament, to organizing the many activities we participated in on Labor Day, to Fundraising for the little Girl Scout House, and stepping up for projects when no one else will, Shannon is a prime example of someone who gives everything they have in service of others. Shannon took it upon herself to build a beautiful piece for Rotary to display in the Christmas parade.

Shannon is even instilling this heart of service in her family and children, and it is such a joy to see her son building and creating in a way that serves others. I served with Shannon in many activities on Labor Day, one of which was the Ruby Gooden Games where her entire family was there to organize, help, and host these games.

…We call people like Shannon Movers and Shakers because she gets things done. She moves mountains and she shakes trees when no one else thinks anything will fall out. I came from a large community of nearly 100,000 people and I never saw anyone step up the way Shannon has. I could easily say more about the great things Shannon has done for this community, but I hope this serves as a strong testimonial to who Shannon is and how much she deserves this recognition.

-See more nominations in the next issue of the Henryetta Free-Lance.