The Journal Record: On the Town - OICA honors top advocates at 2025 Heroes Ball

The Journal Record: On the Town: OICA honors top advocates at 2025 Heroes Ball

By: Lillie-Beth Brinkman

Date: July 24, 2025

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The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy is honoring top advocates on Saturday night at the 2025 Heroes Ball in Oklahoma City.

Former Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Yvonne Kauger is receiving the Kate Barnard Lifetime Achievement Award.

Others being recognized for their work advocating for children are the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum with the Organizational Advocate Award; Kim Garrett Funk, founder and chief visionary officer of Palomar, with the Jay Scott Brown Advocacy Award; and Sandra Sand, a paramedic and assistant director of Kirk’s EMS in Lawton, with the CEO Award.

The Heroes Ball, which is also celebrating “super pets” will begin with a reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m. followed by the gala at OKANA Resort in Oklahoma City.

For information, go to oica.org.

Zoo sleepover

The Oklahoma City Zoo is hosting a safari sleepover on Friday, Aug. 1, focused on giraffes and hoofed animals. Designed for families with children ages 5 and over, the fun begins at 6:45 p.m. and ends at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2. The zoo’s education team will teach people about these animals, host an enrichment activity and take visitors on private night and morning zoo hikes. Cost is $55 per person. For information, go to okczoo.org/private-overnights. The next one will feature carnivore predators on Sept. 6.

After the overnight safari ends, take part in the zoo’s Elephant Day activities from 9:30 to noon, which is open to all zoo visitors.

Science and spirits

The Science Museum Oklahoma is mixing cocktails with science when it hosts three tasting events in Spirit Labs.

The new fundraising event will feature tastings of tequila, bourbon and wine on different evening paired with hands-on science experiences. The Spirit Labs kicks off with the “Agave Experiment” Sept. 12, and guests will learn about the distillation process, explore the chemistry of agave and have some fun with the worm that is often associated with tequila. On Oct. 3, bourbon is the focus with “The Barrel Formula,” and “The Grape Reaction” on Nov. 7 features “wine and wonder,” as a news release states.

Proceeds help fund the museum’s interactive educational outreach programs. Tickets are $80 for general admission and $100 for VIP tickets for early entry and extra activities. Events are from 7 to 9 p.m. for general admission.

For information or tickets, go to sciencemuseumok.org

New board members

The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma has named five new members to its board of directors for a one-year term. They are: Danny Barth, Oklahoma City Thunder; Ana Carmina Dange, JP Morgan Chase Bank; Sara Clifford, Love’s Travel Stops; Tiffany Gamblin, Flywheel Energy; and Larisha Hunter, Paycom.

Mike Potter, who is retired, is the new board chairman, with outgoing board Chair Dave Lopez, Lopez-Dorada Foods, moving to the past chair role. Other officers are Dr. Lydia Nightingale, Variety Care, vice chair; Edgar Medina, Tinker Federal Credit Union, treasurer; and JC Witcher, ADG-Blatt Architects, board secretary.

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