Oklahoma City -– The 2023 John F. Kennedy Community Service Awards Gala — the annual fundraiser for the Santa Fe Family Life Center — is set for 7 p.m., Sept. 21 in the Meinders Hall of Mirrors at the Civic Center, 201 N. Walker Ave. Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m. before the evening’s dinner and awards ceremony.
The John F. Kennedy Awards celebrate Oklahomans whose philanthropy has served the community in impactful ways.
Elite gymnast Maggie Nichols and local nonprofit advocate Marnie Taylor are this year’s honorees, along with business leader John Kennedy, who will receive the Mark Ruffin Lifetime Achievement Award.
Proceeds from the gala support the Santa Fe Family Life Center in its mission to provide recreation and athletic programs for children who are disadvantaged, or have physical or intellectual disabilities.
Sponsorship opportunities and ticket information can be found at sfflc.com/jfk-award.
“Honoring Oklahoma’s philanthropists reminds me of the tremendous difference a single individual can make for friends, neighbors and strangers in need. The John F. Kennedy Community Service Award honors individuals whose legacy of service has defined their life and improved the lives of others,” said Matt Bond, executive director at SFFLC. “Our work would not be possible without the dedication of our volunteers and sponsors.”
More about the honorees
Business leader John Kennedy’s career has spanned more than four decades, with investment in Oklahoma’s next generation as a recurring theme throughout his legacy of service. As a commercial real estate developer, he began work for John Kilpatrick before founding Irish Realty in 1978. Kennedy was appointed Oklahoma Secretary of State in 1991, the youngest person to have held the office.
He also served as a member of the five-person State of Oklahoma Cash Management and Investment Oversight Commission and as commissioner on the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation and the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust. He currently serves on the boards of directors for Cristo Rey Oklahoma City Catholic High School and O.U.’s Fred Jones, Jr. Art Museum.
He is chair of the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum and is the co-chair of the Clara Luper Sit-In Plaza. Kennedy is a past board president of Heritage Hall School, Westminster School and deadCenter Film. He served on the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Dean’s Alumni Leadership Council and was recently named to the university’s Fund Executive Council.
Kennedy holds a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma City University in history and political science and a master’s degree from Harvard University in public administration.
Former U.S. National Team gymnast Maggie Nichols traveled the world as a top competitor representing her country at the international level. A knee injury and being the first to speak out regarding misconduct and sexual abuse by a USA Gymnastics team doctor caused speculation when she was left off the 2016 Olympic Team.
She came forward as “Athlete A” in a subsequent investigation, the first survivor to report related abuse. Nichols participated in a 2020 Netflix documentary and established the Maggie Nichols Foundation, which offers assistance to charities aiding abuse survivors. She joined the NCAA gymnastics team at the University of Oklahoma, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and is currently pursuing her master’s in higher education.
Marnie Taylor has served as president and CEO of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits since 2011. She is considered an Oklahoma leader in governance and has volunteered on more than 30 boards throughout four decades of community work centered on children, families and the arts. Current board appointments include Potts Family Foundation, Sunbeam Family Services and the Friends of the Governor’s Mansion.
Taylor has lent her expertise as a chairperson for the National Council of Nonprofits, Oklahoma County Citizens for Juvenile Justice, Oklahoma Outreach Foundation, CASA of Oklahoma County, ReMerge, Notre Dame Club of Oklahoma City, and Volunteer Center of Central Oklahoma. She has also held leadership board positions for Oklahoma Arts Institute, World Neighbors, American Red Cross and Junior League of Oklahoma City.
Additional affiliations include Allied Arts Circle Club, Downtown OKC Rotary, Economics Club of OKC, Friends of OU Breast Institute, John L. Peters Society, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Annie Oakley Society and Prix de West Society, Oklahoma Academy for State Goals, Oklahoma Business Roundtable, Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits Chairman’s Circle, Oklahoma Women’s Coalition, Potts Family Legacy Society, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church and Women for Oklahoma State University, with more than a dozen community awards in recognition of her outstanding contributions throughout our state.
Taylor is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame.
Background on the SFFLC event and some of the past honorees
Previous award winners include Phil Busey, Tricia Everest, Toby Keith, Lou Kerr, Desmond Mason, Jennifer Love Meyer, Polly Nichols, Mike Turpen and Kari Watkins.
Sponsors for this year’s event include the Chickasaw Nation, Clara Luper Sit-In Plaza, Irish Realty, Jennifer & Lew McGinnis, American Fidelity, BancFirst, Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma, Delta Dental, The Oklahoma Council of the Knights of Columbus, The Mark Ruffin Family, Deanya & Brad Taylor, Bethany Children’s Health Center, First United Bank, Frontier State Bank, Robyn & Chuck Duginski, Jones PR, Polly & Larry Nichols, Peter Pembroke, Realtor – Lime Realty, Rischard Elder Law, David Rainbolt, and Cathy & Frank Keating.
Notes: The Santa Fe Family Life Center (www.sfflc.com/ ) is owned and operated by the Columbus Corporation, a faith-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. The Columbus Corporation’s volunteer leadership seeks to provide individuals and organizations with access to sports and physical improvement opportunities that result in healthier, happier citizens. The SFFLC offers and promotes programs designed to empower disadvantaged youth and individuals with disabilities to achieve improved fitness and well-being. One of the Knights’ core principles is to love thy neighbor as thyself and the SFFLC puts those words into action.
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