QC ladies tourney
Make A Wish
Linda Dunn, far left, with her guests Carol Fisher, Pat Edwards and Carol Stewart at the Quail Creek Member-Guest tournament. Page 4
Deborah McAuliffe Senner is the new president and CEO of Make A Wish Oklahoma. Page 11
OKC FRIDAY Vol. 59 No. 15• One Section • 12 pages • August 15, 2025
$1 per copy
www.okcfriday.com facebook.com/okcfriday OKC’s only locally-owned legal newspaper with all local news Serving affluent far north Oklahoma City, Nichols Hills & The Village for 51 years
TIM and LIZ McLAUGHLIN
From left: Back row, Denise Robinson, Betty Ensz, Glenda Webster, Ellen Kramer, Jackie Hill, Gayla Thompson, Beth Thomas, Amy Rose, Kim Keller, Karen Land, Kathy Shannon and Sherry Gibson; middle row, Diana Lewis, Vicki Swigert, Maria Newman, Cheryl Neufeld and Jan Wood; and center, Jackie Folgar-Ellis. Twice a year, the group meet swith Kay Tangner and Scarlett Shepherd, liaisons to the hospital and have a theme. This theme was “western” so everyone got a hat. JOE CASTIGLIONE
SHERRI COALE
Four to be honored at Kennedy Awards University of Oklahoma coaching legend Sherri Coale, OU Athletic Director Joe Castiglione and legendary philanthropists Liz and Tim McLaughlin are the honorees for the 2025 John F. Kennedy Community Service Awards. The gala event is set for 7 p.m., Sept. 25 in the Meinders Hall of Mirrors at the Civic Center, 201 N. Walker Ave. A VIP cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m. The John F. Kennedy Awards celebrate Oklahomans whose philanthropy has served the community in impactful ways. Proceeds from the gala support the Santa Fe Family Life Center (SFFLC) in its mission to provide inclusive and accessible athletic programs for individuals with disabilities, See AWARDS, Page 2
Ladies sew up meaning, purpose for young cancer patients By Rose Lane Editor The Stitches of Love seamstresses are translating their hobby into something meaningful and purposeful for the children at the Jimmy Everest Cancer Center at OU Children’s Hospital. Beth Thomas said the sewing
bead bags and sleeping bags for baby dolls, Beth said. “The bead bags are part of a national effort for the children to collect beads of courage. Beads tell the children’s stories of resilience and pain,” Beth said. “They represent unique moments in a patient’s journey; chemo, See STITCHES, Page 2
Village Community Partners to be introduced By Eric Oesch Staff Writer Ron Butts has longstanding ties to The Village although he now lives in Edmond. Butts is
Upward Transitions’ ‘civic bravery’ is touted by The Courage Project Local nonprofit organization, Upward Transitions, has been recognized by The Courage Project, a new national initiative that aims to recognize and inspire actions at the community level bolstering civic engagement and inclusive community values, as well as to honor and celebrate everyday acts of civic bravery. United Way Worldwide is one of the founding partners of The Courage Project, along with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Freedom Together Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Marguerite Casey Foundation, Public Welfare Foundation, Surdna
group began in 2008 after Kay Tangner share her story about volunteering at the center. Stitches of Love is based out of Crossings Community Church, but being a member there is not required for someone to turn on a sewing machine. Since its inception in 2008, SOL (Stitches of Love) has made 2,533 quilts, 997 pillowcases, 436
Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, and the Skillman Foundation. The Courage Project is backed by an initial $10 million commitment with additional funding and partners expected in the future. Upward Transitions is part of a small group of awardees announced earlier this summer. The award comes with a grant of $20,000 to honor the 100-year-old Oklahoma City organization’s actions and to help continue the vital work during a challenging time for so many civic groups and those they mean to help. See BRAVERY, Page 3
a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church and has attended regularly since his teens, in fact it’s where he met his wife, Julie. He has identified a need in the com-
munity to help local organizations “get the word out” about their programs, projects and resources and is acting upon it. Butts and other mem-
bers of his church community are spearheading a new organization they call Village Community Partners. See VILLAGE, Page 7
FRIDAY’s
Dog of the Week Sadie’s family is Mark Fisher and Julia Phillips. She is a 15-month-old 60-lb pound adoptee. She’s from all over: Roughly equal parts German shepherd, American pit bull terrier and Australian cattle dog. She loves everybody, but has a scary bark. Her favorite things are treats, squeaky toys, playing tug-of-war, walks, the dog park – she is usually the fastest dog there — napping on her people’s bed and stealing their socks. Certain things have to be spoken in code, because she’s learned the words; e.g., “treat,” “walk,” and “dog park” She’s even learned to recognize them when we spell them. Email Pet of the Week submissions with complete descriptions to: rose@ okcfriday.com.