Okemah Garden Club selling flowers to raise funds for maintenance, upgrading of beautification projects around town

By Joshua Allen
ONL Staff Reporter

A local club needs help from the community it serves. 

In the ongoing effort to beautify Okemah, as well as draw attention to its intriguing past, the Okemah Garden Club is actively raising funds to help with the maintenance and upgrading of several of its beautification projects around the city. 

The small, nonprofit group has a page at FlowerPowerFundraising.com (search Okemah Garden Club at the site to find the groups specific page) to raise funds for its ongoing projects.

On that page, flower packages, featuring various different kinds of bulbs, can be purchased for the benefit of the garden club. The order deadline is Wednesday, April 17.  

According to the narration on the group’s page, “These projects keep our community looking beautiful and spectacular for visitors to our town, as well as residents to enjoy.” 

“Fundraising events allow us to keep these projects going throughout the year as it is our primary means of income,” the narration continues. “One of the benefits from this fundraiser will be to help have a beautiful eye-catching design at the ‘Welcome to Okemah Garden.’”

The ‘Welcome’ garden is located on Okemah’s Woody Guthrie Street, near Pepinos and in front of E-Express. The garden is complimented by a large, custom-designed sign that reads ‘Welcome to Okemah: A City of Resources, Est. 1902’ and ‘Home of Woody Guthrie.’ 

According to the fundraiser website, the Okemah Garden Club would like to “add a rock border around the bed, repair electrical flood lights and watering system, plus a few other additions, so it will be more maintenance-manageable-friendly for our members who care for this garden.” 

The funds raised through the website and other fundraising events for the club go towards these needs.

Another of its projects is the downtown Woody Guthrie Park, which RoadsideAmerica.com called a “pilgrimage destination.” 

The garden club said the park, located on Broadway, attracts visitors “from around the world almost on a weekly basis year-round.” 

Funds are currently needed to add “bright and cheery colored plants to greet those who come to visit,” which will also make the park “more easily visible to visitors and residents.” 

Another project of the Okemah Garden Club is the Tony Dean memorial called “Redbud Row,” which began in 2017. 

“This (Redbud Row) memoriam needs signage now,” the fundraiser page states. 

Yet another project the group maintains is the flower pots on the corners going up and down Broadway. 

“A few years back, one of the largest pots was destroyed when a truck struck the pot,” according to the fundraiser narrative. “We would like to replace that pot and add additional pots to the other corners that have none.”

The Okemah Garden Club also has a desire to use funds raised to purchase property for its Community Garden Project. 

“In our first year, we shared over 3500 pounds of healthy, fresh produce to residents in need in our community,” the fundraiser page states. “Owning our own property will allow for raised beds for those members and residents who are now unable to garden using conventional methods.”

These are a few of the projects under the responsibility of the Okemah Garden Club. The group is calling on the community to help raise needed funds for the maintenance of these endeavors. 

“We are proud to play a significant role in adding color and beauty to our small town,” the group’s fundraiser page reads. “We do, of course, ask residents and visitors to donate and participate to help us reach our goals together.” 

Find the Okemah Garden Club on Facebook … or, if the Internet is not preferred, interested individuals can call Okemah Garden Club Secretary Peggiann Combs at (580) 334-1947 to view a paper catalog of flowers available for order, as well as a physical order form.