Press Releases

GIFT BRINGS TO LIFE OKLAHOMA CITY NATIONAL MEMORIAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION & OUTREACH

Donation will allow Memorial to significantly increase offerings to teach impact of violence

OKLAHOMA CITY — Chesapeake Energy Corporation, along with its co-founder and CEO, Aubrey K. McClendon, and his wife, Katie, today gave matching $300,000 donations to the Oklahoma City Memorial & Museum. The funds will be used to construct the Oklahoma City National Memorial Center for Education and Outreach.
“This generous donation will make a dramatic impact on the Memorial’s ability to make our educational offerings available on a national level,” said Kari Watkins, Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum executive director. “In addition to widely expanding educational opportunities for students, the space will also allow us to host leading experts and guest lectures for visitors to the Memorial. We are thrilled that this gift will allow us to continue to spread the mission of the Memorial: to honor those forever impacted by violence.”

The Memorial Center for Education & Outreach will host events such as panel discussions for school groups, meeting space for educator workshops and public lectures and programs. The 4,000 square-foot space will be able to seat up to 300 people in a lecture setting and up to 200 people in a banquet setting. Retractable walls allow for versatility of use and a broadcast quality audio/visual system will provide a place for live broadcasts of events in the center. The room will also be available for community use.

“Katie and I are very pleased to join Chesapeake in helping the Oklahoma City Memorial bring the Center for Outreach and Education to fruition,” said Chesapeake’s CEO Aubrey K. McClendon. “From personal experience, we in Oklahoma City know very well the tragic consequences of terrorism. It is crucial that we educate ourselves about the devastating effects of terrorism and that we help people of all nationalities understand the importance of respect for our differences and the power of building rather than destroying.”
Construction on the new space was set to kick off following today’s announcement, with completion scheduled in time for the opening of the Memorial Museum’s newest traveling exhibit, Lincoln: The Civil War and the Constitution, in February 2007.

Community involvement and enhancement are founding principles of Chesapeake Energy Corporation. The company supports such projects as community and public service improvements, common and higher education, public safety, health care, youth programs, historical restoration and preservation, environmental protection and restoration. Over the years Chesapeake has developed a reputation as one of the most philanthropic corporations in the energy industry.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum was created to honor “those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever” by the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The Memorial and Museum are dedicated to educating visitors about the impact of violence, informing about events surrounding the bombing, and inspiring hope and healing through lessons learned by those affected.
The Outdoor Symbolic Memorial is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is free of charge. The Memorial Museum is open Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Sunday, 1-6p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors (62+) and $6 for students (5-college with valid ID). Children under 5 are admitted free. Group rates and programs are available. Special exhibits are included in the cost of admission. Ticket sales end at 5 p.m. daily. The Museum is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

For more information on the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, call (888) 542-HOPE or visit www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org.
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About Chesapeake Energy Corporation
Chesapeake Energy Corporation is the nation’s most active driller and the third largest independent producer of natural gas in the U.S. The Company’s operations are focused on exploratory and developmental drilling and corporate and property acquisitions in the Mid-Continent, Permian Basin, South Texas, Texas Gulf Coast, Barnett Shale, Ark-La-Tex and Appalachian Basin regions of the United States. The company’s Internet address is www.chkenergy.com.

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