36 HOURS: THUNDER IN THE PANHANDLEWords and Pictures: Jimmy Do
Two and a half years in the making, the clipped blue Thunder Cares ribbon collapsed to the ground marking a significant milestone. The jubilant residents of Boise City finally celebrated the opening of their new Thunder Cares community basketball court.
Plagued by aging facilities and rejections for project funding, the westernmost city in Oklahoma with a population that would fill up only four lower level sections at Chesapeake Energy Arena saw no hope in sight. Overlooked, prospects for this community were bleak until the Thunder organization stepped up to deliver the goods.
Partnering with city leaders including Alisha Griffith, president of the Boise City Recreation Foundation, the hard work paid off to make this day happen for this remote, sleepy town.
"When we apply for grants for our projects, we are told we are not in their area of consideration," said Griffith. "So when we found out the Thunder deemed us in their area of consideration, we were ecstatic."
Eyes leaking with mic hand shaking, she delivered an impassioned victory speech imbibed with an underdog spirit and gratitude beyond words that fired up the crowd. It resonated with a community that carried a collective chip on their shoulders.
The momentous ceremony capped a three-city appreciation tour of the Panhandle for the Thunder organization.
"This is the farthest we've been and we're thrilled. This is exactly what we want to do," said Christine Berney, Thunder VP of community relations. "Work with communities and building courts so that everybody can come out and have a good time."
For a city known for being accidentally bombed during World War II, Boise City residents now have a chance to rewrite a new legacy for future generations.
Griffith: "We don't think of them as the Oklahoma City Thunder. We think of them as the 'Oklahoma' Thunder. And they proved that to us by driving all the way out here to the last county in the Panhandle and make this investment in our community."
Watch the full recap of the trip: IMPACTING THE PANHANDLE
