Published: September 27, 2006 11:57 am         

Pickens gives $25,000 to SPEF

• Donation surprises public education foundation officials

The Stillwater Public Education Foundation received a surprise donation of $25,000 from businessman Boone Pickens on Tuesday after he spoke to the nearly 300 contributors, supporters and teachers at the foundation’s Pioneer Pride Gala at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center.

During his speech, Pickens, well-known for his donations to Oklahoma State University, spoke about the importance of giving back to local school systems.

“I don’t think there’s any way you can go wrong when you give to children and a public school system,” he said right before leaving to catch a plane home to Dallas.

Pickens’ donation as well as the other corporate sponsors’ donations help fund what the state and the district aren’t able to fund through grants, which have totaled more than $500,000 since the foundation’s inception in 1984, foundation trustee Tom Williams said.

The foundation’s goal is to reach $1 million in grants by 2010 through events like the gala, Williams added.

SPEF Past President Scott Jones said Pickens’ donation was unexpected and a wonderful gift to the Stillwater school district.

“I think he knows he’s made a great impact on the community, and I think he’s concerned about making sure he gives back not just to the university level but also the community level and I think that’s great.

“As he said, he gives to things that are important and continues to give, and we’re hopeful that he will continue to give (to SPEF),” Jones said.

One grant that was highlighted Tuesday was the fine arts grant that totals $21,000 a year and that was written by Gayla Foster and Julie Lauvetz of the Stillwater Fine Arts Task Force. They spoke to the audience about the importance of art in schools.

In its second year, the program affects 1,100 students in grades 3-5 in the Stillwater school district and gives them a formal art education at the Stillwater Multi Arts Center.

There, students receive eight art lessons throughout the semester, each one-hour long and which include clay and mixed media art, which was on display at the gala.

“(This grant) reflects the desire to see art integrated into the school system,” Lauvetz said.

Richmond Elementary School Principal Gay Washington, who attended the gala, said the students at her school love the program, and even if the district gets art teachers, she said she would be hopeful to continue the partnership because of the real-life education students receive.

D. Scott Petty, SPEF president, said the art program is just one small portion of what the foundation does to help schools in the district. He added that last year, $30,000 in donations was given for programs from hands-on science labs to creative math grants to foreign language grants.

After the dinner was served and the audience was entertained by the SHS Orchestra String Quartet, Pickens was greeted with a standing ovation before he said to the audience, “I’m convinced the Lord put me here to make money and give it away.

“We’re in a new era at Oklahoma State, and we’re doing good things,” he said.

Pickens added there’s no question that by making generous donations to the university, there will be a trickle-down effect and the local school system will also be helped.

Pickens also hinted at future donations.

“I’ve said I’m going to give more money,” he said. “I just have to identify where and when.”

     

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