Fairmont residents get Valentine's gift from ORU
BY JERRY WOFFORD World Staff Writer
Thursday, February 14, 2013
2/14/13 at 5:05 AM
About 60 Fairmont Terrace residents will spend Valentine's Day cheering on the Oral Roberts University men's basketball team, a rare chance for many to enjoy a night out.
ORU Athletics is providing free tickets to residents for Thursday night's game against Sam Houston State University. PCC Cleaning and Restoration is providing food, and the HANDS Changing Legacies ministry will transport the residents to and from the game.
"I am so excited that ORU Athletics gave us the opportunity to offer our residents this night out," said Fairmont Terrace Community Manager Angela McGinnis.
"A lot of the time there is a lack of means to spend quality family time together, and this is such a great offering. Some of our residents have no transportation, and we are so appreciative of ORU working with HANDS ministry to provide that for them as well."
Mike Salerno of the HANDS ministry, which focuses its efforts on Fairmont Terrace, said many of the kids are excited to see the basketball game Thursday.
"Some of these kids have never seen any kind of sporting event," he said. "I think it's really nice. Good opportunity for them to get out."
ORU athletic officials said they look for opportunities to help the community when they can, and providing the tickets for Fairmont Terrace residents was a good way to help a community in their backyard.
"The tenants at Fairmont Terrace have been through some adversity recently," said Richard McCutchen, ORU's assistant athletic director for marketing, who helped organize the event.
"They deserve an opportunity to put their worries aside and have some fun. Community outreach is a major part of our mission at ORU, so it makes sense for us to extend a hand to these tenants."
Four women - Misty Nunley, 33; Julie Jackson, 55; Rebeika Powell, 23; and Kayetie Powell Melchor, 23 - were tied up and shot to death in a Fairmont Terrace apartment on Jan. 7.
Two men have been arrested in the homicides.
Original Print Headline: ORU gives Fairmont a Valentine's gift
Jerry Wofford 918-581-8310
jerry.wofford@tulsaworld.com
