Mary Lou McInturff, George Reese and Jana Magbee of Concordia Life Care Community accept the Beacon Award for the overall winner in the nonprofits category during the 12-annual event Thursday in Oklahoma City. At left is Ryan Free, senior vice president and director of marketing of presenting sponsor First Fidelity Bank. At far right is Russell Ray, editor of The Journal Record. (Photo by Mark Hancock)

Beacon Award winners recognized for giving back to Oklahoma

Mary Lou McInturff, George Reese and Jana Magbee of Concordia Life Care Community accept the Beacon Award for the overall winner in the nonprofits category during the 12th-annual event Thursday in Oklahoma City. At left is Ryan Free, senior vice president and director of marketing of presenting sponsor First Fidelity Bank. At far right is Russell Ray, editor of The Journal Record.

Beacon Award winners recognized for giving back to Oklahoma

By Journal Record Staff | July 11, 2019

OKLAHOMA CITY – Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Wilspec Technologies and Concordia Life Care Community received the 2019 overall Beacon Awards at The Journal Record’s event spotlighting companies and organizations giving back to the community.
The honorees were recognized at the 12th-annual Beacon Awards event Thursday at Embassy Suites Oklahoma City Downtown/Medical Center. The overall winners in each category will receive a donation for the nonprofits they support.
 
“The people and organizations we recognized today are helping Oklahomans overcome great challenges in life,” said Journal RecordEditor Russell Ray. “Without them, those challenges would be even greater. It’s important we celebrate and recognize their efforts each and every year.”
 
First Fidelity Bank has served as the presenting sponsor of the Beacon Awards program since it began in 2008.
 
“Once again, we are honored to recognize the businesses dedicated to helping our local communities,” said First Fidelity President and CEO Lee R. Symcox. “Our generous corporate citizens exemplify the Oklahoma Standard, making us all proud to live and do business here.”
 
Other sponsors included the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits and the Chickasaw Nation.
Each of the honorees is featured in the Beacon Awards magazine inserted in the July 12 issue of The Journal Record.
 
Companies were recognized for their contributions to the nonprofit community in the categories of philanthropic impact and charitable influence.
 

Charitable influence finalists

 
Organizations in the charitable influence category demonstrate a company culture that encourages and supports volunteerism, charitable giving and community involvement by its members.
 
The Beacon Award overall winner in this category was Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa. The organization’s commitment to the community was solidified through its implementation of its Hope Works Community Impact Program in 2015. Since then, the company and its workforce have given more than $2 million and 10,000 volunteer hours to worthy causes.
 
Other finalists in the charitable influence category were:
• amshot
• Citizens Bank of Edmond
• IBC Bank-Oklahoma
• McMahon Marketing
• Rees
• Switchgear
• The Rowland Group
• T&S Online Marketing
• Vanessa House Beer Co.
 

Philanthropic impact finalists

 
Those recognized in the philanthropic impact category have made a significant charitable contribution to a nonprofit organization working to meet specific needs in the community.
 
Wilspec Technologies won the overall award in the philanthropic impact category for contributions the company and its employees made through its Season of Giving campaign. What started as an effort to support local tornado cleanup efforts in 2013 has become an annual celebration of giving that has seen Wilspec employees raise $35,000 for the American Red Cross, more than $30,000 for the March of Dimes and tens of thousands of dollars more for charities and organizations over the last five years.
 
Other finalists were:
• Continental Resources
• Regent Bank
• Supermercados Morelos
 

Nonprofits serving nonprofits

 
Several nonprofits also received special recognition at the event for the work they do helping other nonprofits. The overall winner in this category was Concordia Life Care Community for its partnership with the Oklahoma City Housing Authority to benefit its residents who had limited access to health care services due to insurance or other economic reasons. This partnership began at the OCHA’s Danforth Senior Center and has since expanded the program to three OCHA housing sites – Danforth, Candle Lake and Classen senior housing communities.
 
Other finalists in this category were:
• Arts Alliance Tulsa
• Christian Helping Hands of Comanche
• Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma
• Dale Rogers Training Center
• Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Central Oklahoma