A group of Edmond women tied on aprons, pulled out rolling pins and put their culinary skills to work by baking 50 apple pies and selling them to support medical research.
The Edmond chapter of the Oklahoma Association of Mothers’ Clubs joined eight other chapters in raising $3,000 for the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. The clubs have made annual gifts to OMRF since 1956, raising more than $108,000 to date. Over the past half-century, those donations have gone to support a wide range of scientific needs, from cancer research to laboratory supplies to summer scholarships for students in OMRF’s Fleming Scholars program.
Eileen Williams, Senior Director of Development at OMRF, presented the women with a plaque honoring their generosity. The plaque will be placed on a bench in front of the OMRF building, 825 NE 13 in Oklahoma City.
“The Oklahoma Association of Mothers’ Clubs is a prime example of rural Oklahoma’s support for medical research,” Williams said. “Almost since the day OMRF was born, Oklahoma’s Mothers’ Clubs have been devoted to helping our scientists battle human disease like cancer, Alzheimer’s and Lou Gehrig’s disease.”
In addition to Edmond, Mothers’ Clubs chapters also are active in Canton, Fairland, Fairview, Hennessey, Ponca City, Medford, Okeene and Purcell. The Clubs presented their gifts to OMRF Saturday night, at their annual statewide gathering in Oklahoma City.
“We support OMRF because medical research helps not only our members and their families’ lives but people across America,” said Club President Cheryl Hasty. “We are proud of our 50-year relationship with such an outstanding facility.”
This year’s donation from the clubs included a $500 check from Wal-Mart, which matched proceeds from the Edmond chapter’s fund-raising efforts.
A high-resolution group photo of Mothers’ Club representatives visiting OMRF is available upon request.
About OMRF:
Celebrating its 60th birthday in 2006, OMRF (www.omrf.org) is a nonprofit biomedical research institute dedicated to understanding and curing human disease. Its scientists focus on such critical research areas as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, lupus and cardiovascular disease. It is home to Oklahoma’s only member of the National Academy of Sciences.
