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OMK Honors Military Kids with Free Day at Frontier City
Press Release
April 23, 2009
Chellee Burson, Haskell County FCS/4-H Educator
Haskell County families of military personnel need to mark their calendars for May 30th and plan for a summer of fun and excitement with Operation: Military Kids, OMK.
OMK, a nationally grant-funded program through the various military branches in collaboration with 4-H, is proud to provide military families the opportunity to take a break this summer and connect to other families and kids facing the same challenges.
“Far too often our National Guard and Reservists’ families do not see themselves as ‘military families’ because they don’t live on base, but they are,” said Chellee Burson, Haskell County FCS/4-H educator.
Military families are classified not by a specific branch of service or relationship. According to military records, Haskell County has at least 23 military children in our own backyard. However, there is no installation. The Global War on Terrorism has redefined “military families” and brought light to the needs of the displaced and dispersed families facing the challenges of deployment and war.
OMK Day at Frontier City on May 30th is scheduled to kick off the summer.
Ryan Moehle, Oklahoma State 4-H OMK coordinator, said he is excited to be able to offer these events for Oklahoma’s military families.
“The mission of 4-H OMK is to reach and support children and families in Oklahoma who are geographically dispersed,” Moehle said. “The event at Frontier City will be a great opportunity for these families.”
The first 400 guests will receive free admission to the amusement park, as well as a ticket for a free lunch. All other military families will receive tickets at the discounted price of $13.50 per person. All park attractions will be available. Raven-Symone´, known for her roles on “That’s So Raven” and “The Cosby Show,” will perform a free concert that evening.
“One thing we have heard over and over from dispersed family members is there are no support services available; however, through this project I have learned there are – you just have to know how to access them,” said Burson.
In addition to the park attractions, a resource fair for the families will also be available for parents and care-givers to learn about current services and support. In addition to 4-H, exhibitors will include other OMK State Team members such as Military One Source, American Legion, Army Child & Youth Services, Boys & Girls Club, Military Child Education Coalition and many more.
Frontier City opens at 10:30 a.m. and tickets may be picked up or purchased only upon arrival at the park. No advance tickets will be available; look for the OMK booth. There will be 4-H Ambassadors on site to welcome families for the day of fun. Parking is free, but participants will need to inform the parking attendant they are with OMK and be prepared to show military identification.
“We’ve been getting very positive feedback from military audiences about OMK and we’re really excited to be able to offer these special events for our military families,” Moehle said.
OMK also will be hosting three more events later in the summer, including Science Museum OMK Camp-In on June 12th, OMK Day at the Tulsa Zoo on Aug. 8th, and OMK Day at OSU on Aug. 12th.
For more information about any of these events or to learn more about other Haskell County 4-H activities, contact Chellee Burson at 918-967-4330. More information specifically about Oklahoma 4-H Operation: Military Kids is available at www.operationmilitarykids.org.
