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Hundreds Of Mayors Gather To Water
The Survivor Tree
More than 200 Mayors and guests are in Oklahoma City attending the Annual Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors. They gathered under the Survivor Tree at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Sunday morning for a special ceremony. Memorial Trustee Chairman John Richels, survivor Polly Nichols and family member Susan Winchester hosted Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and his colleagues. The morning began with remarks by Mayor Cornett, Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, Mayor of Burnsville, Minnesota and President of US Conference of Mayors and John Richels. The highlight of the morning included hearing the stories of Nichols and Winchester of what they had overcome, the telling of the Memorial creation and how this city has overcome the tragedy to become a symbol of hope for the nation. The ceremony concluded with each person having the opportunity to water the Survivor Tree and help spread the mission of the Memorial to their cities.
Builders 2009
The Board of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation wrapped up its quarterly Board of Trustees Meeting with a "Thank You Reception" for 11 outgoing board members. Six of those Trustees had served on the Foundation Board since inception in 1995. Honored for their service, leadership and extraordinary work were Bill Bell, Rowland Denman, Deb Ferrell-Lynn, Burns Hargis, Frank Hill, Jerome Holmes, Bob Johnson, Polly Nichols, Renée Preftakes, Shirley Shanker and Richard Williams.
Annual Air Force Veterans Day Ceremony
Major General P. David Gillett, Jr., Commander , Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force Base, and other Tinker senior leaders joined family and friends of Airman 1st Class Cartney J. McRaven and Airman 1st Class LaKesha R. Levy in a special Veterans Day ceremony on the grounds of the Oklahoma City National Memorial.
Called2Change
Using the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building as a basis for study, Called2Change, helps students understand that every life has meaning and importance, see that that there is far more good than evil in the world, understand how individual acts contribute to violence and focus on ways to serve others. The Hope Trunk, a field trip to the Memorial and Museum, a First Person program and suggested follow-up activities, including movie clips and a service learning project, combine to provide an experience that changes lives.
2009 Memorial Marathon
The 2009 Memorial Marathon hosted 19,300 runners, up 21% from the 2008 race, with runners from 49 states and seven foreign countries. All five 2009 marathon events sold out before the Health and Fitness Expo closed. The Memorial Marathon has been hailed by Runner’s World magazine as one of the 12 “Must Run” marathons in the world.
2009 Reflections of Hope Honoree Father Alex Reid
Father Alex Reid was honored for his life’s work in the peace process in Northern Ireland at the 2009 Reflections of Hope Award dinner.
Fr. Reid's work was long term and behind the scenes. He brought to the Irish conflict two very important recognitions: (1) in order to have the space to initiate a peace process, you have to stop the atrocities being committed by both sides and (2) success in any peace process requires inclusion of all parties who speak for recognized constituencies. Even today, as dissidents continue outbreaks of violence, Father Reid’s philosophies are being used to promote peace. His goal was to stop the killing in Northern Ireland so peace could start, and it was his early work that persuaded the Irish Republican Army to put down their arms.
We Remember
2009 Remembrance Ceremony
Hundreds of people braved cold winds to honor those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever by the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. A mulit-faith ceremony celebrated the healing that comes through all faiths. Scripture readings, prayers, and songs of hope and healing were part of the ceremony. A reading of the names of the 168 people who were killed closed the ceremony.
Stand Together
Acclaimed Christian recording artist, worship leader, and speaker Jami Smith has written a new song inspired by the symbols of faith that help so many to heal after tragedies such as the Oklahoma City bombing.
The song, Stand Together, is a celebration of the hope and healing that happens through a community’s journey of faith. Smith was inspired by the many symbols of faith that can be seen throughout the Memorial. These items that have been left as mementos and prayers on the fence, or captured in the personal belongings of those who were killed help tell the story of that day inside the Memorial Museum.
An Amazing Morning at the Memorial
More than 3500 choir directors and choir members joined voices on the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial as the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) held a Peace Event Friday morning. The gathered crowd was treated to the sounds of Conspirare, a professional choir based in Austin, Texas, Oklahoma City’s Canterbury Youth Chorus, and the University of Oklahoma Brass Choir. Attendees joined in singing "Peace Like A River," filling the site with the harmony of voices in the audience. The ACDA was in Oklahoma City holding its 50th annual National Conference.
Illuminating Hope: The Field of Empty Chairs Relighting
A chair relamping project in the Field of Empty Chairs provides new lights which burn brighter and with greater clarity, so the names are
easily read even from a distance. The original lights placed in the
chairs during the construction of the Memorial in 2000 are being
replaced with an LED lighting system manufactured by Roberts Step-Lite Systems in Oklahoma City. Randy Roberts helped design the original
lights as well.
Hans and Torrey Butzer, Randy Roberts, and the
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum's Executive Director Kari
Watkins give a brief update on the relighting project in this Memorial
video.
BUILDERS: The Story of 12 Retiring Trustees
We say “thank you” to 15 retiring Trustees who have been builders
of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, including Ryan
Leonard, Lee Allan Smith, Joan Gilmore, Linda Lambert, Ed Farrell, Luke
Corbett, Beverly Rankin, Gloria Griffin, Carolyn Cummins, Chet Collier,
Tom McDaniel, Mark Price, Bud Welch, Jeanette Gamba and Karen Luke.
Hear their stories as they reflect on their journey to build and operate this Memorial and Museum.
Bill Scheihing - In His Own Words
Bill Scheihing conducted his first meeting on July 23, 2008, as Chairman of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation. Scheihing is the ninth Chairman of the 501(c)3 Foundation that was formed in 1995 to build, own and operate the Memorial and Museum. As a senior banker at JPMorgan Chase, he was transferred to Oklahoma City in 2000, began serving on the board that year and later became Treasurer.
A Shared Experience
On April 19, 2002, the seventh anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum opened A Shared Experience: 04.19.95 - 09.11.01. This display was designed to highlight the experiences and responses common to those affected by the terrorist attacks in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, and in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2001.
Remembrance
In the months after the bombing, it became apparent that there was overwhelming support for the creation of a major, permanent memorial where the Murrah Building once stood. Then- Mayor Ron Norick appointed a 350-member task force to explore ways to remember this tragic event, and especially to honor the 168 Oklahomans who died. In March 1999, the task force issued its report.
Oklahoma City National Memorial Walking Tour
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum was created to honor "those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever by the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City. We are dedicated to teaching the impact of violence, and sharing the hope and resilience of this community and country.
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