Volunteers spread hope through LOVE OKC

Thousands of people came out to the State Fair Park on Saturday for free health and wellness services offered at the annual LOVE OKC One Day.

With support from organizations such as Oklahoma City Public Schools, Hobby Lobby, Feed the Children and others, about 5,000 people were able to receive free health care services, food, haircuts and other resources from about 1,500 volunteers and about 50 churches.

Mary Jo Jones, a physical therapist from Oklahoma City, said it was her third year volunteering her time, saying she volunteers each year to help those who might be in pain.

“They’re usually extremely grateful, especially if they come over and their back pain’s not too bad, their neck pain’s not too bad, their shoulder pain’s not too bad (then) we can usually get it to go away before they leave our area,” Jones said.

“Every once in a while we get lucky and somebody can walk in here with six out of 10 pain and they leave with a two, we’re pretty happy. We try to give them a whole lot of education with a little bit of treatment. It’s just kind of fun when somebody walks in crooked and they leave feeling better.”

Dave Suey, director of pharmacy and

NEWS BRIEFS Go Code CNXC Go to oklahoman,.com and enter the Go Code to see additional photos from the eventw. retail operations for Walgreens in Oklahoma City, said the company has been working with LOVE OKC since 2012 by offering free flu vaccinations and volunteering pharmacists’ time. Suey said each year the company donates 1,000 doses of the vaccine for the event, adding that at a former event they administered 900 shots.

Waiting in line to get her flu shot, Kathy Blankenship, of Norman, said her family brought her to the event.

“I came to get my hair cut, immunization, get a dental checkup, overall, just whatever they give,” Blankenship said.

She said that being able to have access to a variety of different services at one location was the “best feeling in the world, awesome.”

According to Feed the Children, two tractor-trailer loads of food were distributed at the event, equating to about 2,000 boxes of food, with each box containing enough food to feed a family of four for a week.

With her hand covering her right eye, Hatziry Garcia, 9, reads an eye chart while volunteer Arieyana Blackwell, of Edmond, checks her vision accuracy Saturday during LOVE OKC One Day at State Fair Park.

Photographer Rudolph Tolar captures a family portrait for Max Foncham, Iveth Granados and Aiden Fonchman, 1 1/2 years old. Tolar said this is his first year to volunteer at LOVE OKC One Day and described the chance to help with portraits as “totally...