The Stillwater Community Foundation is accepting donations for the construction of the Stillwater Strong Memorial to be constructed on city owned property, near the intersection of Main Street and Hall of Fame Avenue in Stillwater. The memorial will honor the memory of the four individuals killed in the Oklahoma State University’s homecoming tragedy at the end of last year’s Sea of Orange Parade. The estimated cost of the memorial designed by SparksReed Architects from Tulsa is anticipated to be approximately $100,000.
“Honoring the memory of Nash Lucas, Nikita Nakal, Bonnie Stone and Marvin Stone is our greatest priority,” said John Killam, Stillwater Community Foundation board member. “However, the memorial will also honor the approximately 50 other victims who were injured as well as the first responders who came to their aid and the medical professionals who cared for them in the days, weeks and months to follow this sad event,” Killam added. The crash which impacted not only Oklahoma, but also people well beyond our state’s borders and even around the globe as victims from both China and India felt the pain and loss from this incident.
The Stillwater Medical Center Foundation which distributed all $485,000 it collected to the documented victims and family members of the tragedy concluded their work in early 2016. They absorbed 100% of the administrative costs in an effort to direct every penny donated to those who needed it most. “We have worked closely with Scott Petty, Executive Director of the SMC Foundation because he has been in contact with the families of those who died and they are 100% supportive of this plan to pay tribute their family members,” Killam continued. The Stillwater Community Foundation operates under the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma, which is a 501(c) 3 organization. That organization will be writing gift acknowledgments and receipts managing those charitable donations and gifts for the Stillwater Community Foundation.
The Stillwater Community Foundation will be accepting donations during walk around Friday night at the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity house located at 1306 W. University, near the west end of the greek houses on University Avenue. During the parade they will also have a table set up at the designated memorial site on the northwest corner of the Main Street and Hall of Fame intersection. A sign was recently installed to help the public identify the planned location for the memorial.
“This is not the first time the Stillwater community and our university have pulled together as a family to support one another and we’re doing it again to honor those impacted,” said board member Ken Skillman, who has been closely associated with both the original Stillwater Strong Fund effort and now the Stillwater Strong Memorial drive. Donations may also be made online at: www.cfok.org/stillwaterstrong
If you have questions regarding donating or volunteer opportunities please contact, John Killam at 405.742.2904 or by email at [email protected] or Ken Skillman at 405.714.9444 or at [email protected]
