A longtime friend throws a birthday fundraiser for cancer research at OMRF.
Let’s do it again for my 90th, H.E. “Gene” Rainbolt had always said.
When the OMRF Life Director and Chairman Emeritus of BancFirst turned 80 in 2009, rather than a typical birthday celebration, he rented out the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club and hired country music legend Willie Nelson to play. Instead of gifts, the newly minted octogenarian asked guests to donate to cancer research in honor of his late wife, Jeannine.
And donate they did, to the tune of $340,000. Rainbolt split the proceeds between two of his favorite charities: OMRF and the Stephenson Cancer Center.
In February, Rainbolt marked the 10th anniversary of that celebration event—and the 90th anniversary of his birth—with a reprise.
Once again, he hosted nearly 1,000 guests, this time at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. After the crowd loaded up on beer and barbecue, Nelson (at age 85, no spring chicken himself) toured them through the many high notes of a singing and songwriting career that includes standards like “Crazy” and “On The Road Again.”
Rainbolt enjoyed the festivities, ditching his typical banker’s uniform of suit and tie for a beanie and a shirt festooned with an image of Nelson’s favorite semi-legal weed. But he was happiest with the results: $440,000 raised for cancer research, with OMRF and Stephenson once again the beneficiaries of this largesse.
“I hope these gifts will help make a difference for the patients and families who have to face this terrible disease,” says Rainbolt.
At the event, Rainbolt saluted others in the audience who’d also entered their 10th decade. Dubbed the Nonagenarian Society, the group subsequently met at OMRF in November, where Rainbolt and a dozen fellow Oklahomans aged 90 to 99 listened to a scientific presentation on diseases of aging.
Rainbolt envisions that the group, which now counts 41 members, will meet twice a year and that its ranks will continue to swell as it attracts more seniors interested in medical research. “Whoever just turned 90, that’s who we’ll have serve as chair,” he jokes.
While Rainbolt is in good health, he says he’s not planning a third installment of the Willie Nelson event for his 100th birthday. At least not yet.
Still, we’re going to keep the calendar open for February 2029. Just in case.
Cancer Research at OMRF
- Dr. Magdalena Bieniasz is targeting new ovarian cancer treatments by creating unique tumor models with cells donated by patients at the Stephenson Cancer Center.
- By understanding processes that underlie the replication and repair of DNA, Drs. Roberto Pezza and Chris Sansam aim to find new ways to prevent certain cancers.
- Drs. Gary Gorbsky and Dean Dawson are investigating whether defective components of so-called cell checkpoints can aid in the design of anti-cancer drugs.
