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Misty Gossen -
Mike’s Meats is teaming up with the Cordell Academic Foundation for a fund-raiser to help raise funds for the foundation’s program that helps buy items for teachers that aren’t in the normal budget. Mike’s will provide a meat package for one winner. COURTESY PHOTO / MIKE’S MEATS -
Mike Reimer
If you like meat, the Cordell Academic Foundation has the deal for you.
For its yearly fundraiser this year, the foundation has teamed with Mike’s Meats to offer a package for one lucky winner.
The fundraiser each year helps give teachers items that don’t fit in the normal school district budget.
“We use that money to fund grants that the teachers submit that might not fit into the budget or the curricula of the school,” said foundation president Misty Gossen. “So we try to provide those things for teachers.”
Those items might include iPads, microscopes, books, clay for the art department or science items like models of cells.
One school staffer even takes students to have lunch with the senior citizens. Of course, that was before COVID-19 protocols won’t allow such activity.
“It’s really neat to see the things playing out,” Gossen said. “Because we just fund them and then don’t get to see much of it what they’re doing in the school, so they try to keep us in the loop.”
The foundation relies on the fundraiser and other donations to fulfill the grants.
Members try to pick the year’s fundraiser by August, so they can promote it for several months.
People can also make straight donations to the foundation, Gossen said. “People don’t realize that they can donate to our foundation on behalf of like a retired teacher. Things in that nature,” she said.
The foundation is always looking for members, too. Because the foundation is small, Gosse said an infusion of new members could breathe fresh life into it.
“Just someone with new ideas, to make it fresh and fun,” Gossen said.
For $25 yearly, the foundation is open to any individual, business or corporation or any other legal entity.
“It’s pretty simple,” Gossen said. “You just show up. We eat a noon at Atlas Title in Cordell, and we never miss a meal. We eat, and have dessert, and discuss business and we’re done by 1.”
Gossen got involved in the foundation at the advice of Khristy Russ. Gossen grew up in Cordell, went to school here, and her kids do, too.
Russ “came over and said, ‘Hey we’re doing this thing, it’s a great thing for our kids. I know how much you love Cordell, and I think you should be a part of it.’ That was a while back, so I’ve just kind of been hanging out with them ever since, and now I’m the president,” Gossen said. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”
The foundation has about 12 members, and averages about eight members at most meetings.
“I think the more the merrier because everyone is busy, so we can’t always catch everybody. We will find a place bigger if it came to that, “ she said.
With COVID-19 changing the landscape in many ways, the foundation shifted from its usual gift ideas like a motel room in Bricktown and tickets to a Thunder game and came up with different idea.
“We thought everyone would like a meat pack from Mike’s Meats, and that’s what we opted to do this year,” Gossen said.
“It’s a variety of meats that Mike has put together for us,” she said. “He’s been a huge supporter of the foundation by promoting those things on Facebook for us, making videos, kind of shouting out and getting the word out there.”
Mike Reimer is proud to team up with the foundation on this fundraiser, he said.
“I like what they do,” he said.
“They have the ability to make our schools better and to offer our kids better stuff.”
Schools can’t provide everything teachers need, he said.
“I’m all about making a difference. This makes a big difference,” Reimer said. “My kids are using some of the stuff that the foundation provides. And they wouldn’t have that without the academic foundation. It’s a wonderful thing.”
A $10 donation this year gets you one ticket, or you can get 6 tickets for $50.
The winner will be drawn on Dec. 4 at halftime of the football game, if there is one.
Otherwise, Gossen said the foundation will do a drawing on Facebook live or something similar.
The good news for teachers who are seeking that little bit extra to help them in the classroom is the foundation has rarely, if ever, turned down a request.
“We just make sure we have enough money and go from there,” Gossen said. “We tell them we have money, and we want to help.”
TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased from any foundation member, at Mike’s Meats store and Atlas Title. For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/ cordellacademicfoundation