Honorable Mention - Open
Woodson Park Senior Activity Center, Oklahoma City

Our Town: Where We Live, Learn, Work, Pray and Play

Oklahoma City, The Heartland of America, is our home. We count ourselves among the fortunate to live in this diverse and changing metropolis.

We are thrilled to honor our town by participating in the Collage 2004 project. This year we have experienced planners, and a few new friends to help. This is definitely a group project.

The group came together because our City has made a special place available to senior citizens. Our meeting place is Woodson Park Senior Activities Center. Oklahoma City Park and Recreation Department provides us the place for learning, exercising, arts & crafts, games (both mental and physical), and exploring new places and ideas. The icing on this cake is that in addition to these programs, we have capable, caring and talented folks directing us with these activities. Our lives are richer because of this special center for senior adults. Thank you Oklahoma City for filling this need in the lives of many.

LIVE
We live in the Capitol City of Oklahoma with all the benefits and advantages of big city living. Vigorous civic programs in recent years are being completed and we see the results everywhere. We have a spectacular new Museum of Art and look forward to the unveiling of a new metropolitan library. Our State Capitol Building is magnificent with the dome and the statue of "The Guardian" now in place. This is impressive to all that live here as well as the tourists and visitors to our town. We are proud of our renewed Bricktown area, re-energized downtown, refurbished convention center, canal development, and it is amazing to watch the progress of the North Canadian River improvements.

LEARN
The opportunity for learning is open to all ages. Public education starts with preschool programs and continues through elementary, middle school and high school. Oklahoma City is home to many schools of higher education, technical schools, trade schools, colleges and universities. Oklahoma University Medical School is a highly regarded school and research foundation.

WORK
Oklahoma City looks for ways and means to offer work opportunity. Tinker Field Air Force Base has been a workplace for countless men and women and the community supports its presence. General Motors provides jobs and benefits to many. Oklahoma City is home to the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center and the F.A.A. exposes many people to our city. Oil and energy resources play an important role in the work base of our town.

PRAY
Most religious groups find a home in Oklahoma City. We're located in the "Bible Belt" and there are many churches, cathedrals, mosques, temples and synagogues located throughout our town. Our religions are as diverse as our cultures. A priority of Oklahoma City was to rebuild places of worship that were damaged when the Murrah Federal Building was bombed.

PLAY
Oklahoma City is a year round playground with unlimited entertainment possibilities for everyone from toddlers to seniors.

Oklahoma State Fair Park, which is located in our town, hosts festivals, exhibitions, sports competitions, livestock shows, horse competitions and rodeos, art shows, auctions, amusements, and other events year round in addition to the State Fair.

Oklahoma City parks offer 4200 acres of scenic landscapes and gathering places, bike paths, walking courses, swimming pools, playgrounds, picnic shelters, golf courses and sports fields. Martin Park is an important and unique nature center. The Crystal Bridge and Myriad Gardens is a botanical showplace located in the heart of our downtown. Oklahoma City Zoo is celebrating their Centennial this year and remains a popular attraction. The Oklahoma City Park and Recreation Department have big plans underway for the development of two new regional parks.

Oklahoma City is home to major sports arenas and a first class major baseball field. We have Lake Hefner and Lake Overholser for water related activities. Remington Park is a first class horse racing facility. Kirkpatrick Center is home to a planetarium, Omniplex Museum and I-Max theater.

Museums include the Oklahoma City National Memorial, The National Western Heritage Museum and Cowboy Hall of Fame. Our city is finishing the work on a new showplace with the Oklahoma History Museum. Plans are underway for an important Native American Cultural Museum to be located here.

Civic Center Music Hall hosts the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra, Ballet Oklahoma, dance troupes, theater groups, and traveling theater productions. Downtown OKC boasts an architecturally unique art center housing three separate theaters. Oklahoma City is host to many festivals each year. The Festival of the Arts is a major player in the arts scene. The Paseo District and Oklahoma City Community College host yearly festivals and attendance proves that our town loves these efforts to entertain.

The year is 2004 and Oklahoma City shows that to live in this place is to know that education possibilities, employment possibilities, worship possibilities and entertainment possibilities are important to everyone. This city is looking towards the future. We senior citizens are eager to share this future.