Award Ceremony

Sponsor the 4th Annual Power to DREAM Achievers Awards Banquet!

The DREAM (Disability, Resources, Educational, Advocacy, and Motivation) Institute has announced the 4th Annual Power to DREAM Achievers Award Banquet will be held on November 12th, 2007 at the Marriott Southern Hills Hotel. The silent auction and reception will be at 6:00 pm and the dinner and program will begin at 7:00 pm. The evening’s theme is from a quote from Henry David Thoreau, “Go Confidently in the Direction of Your Dreams.”

The DREAM Institute will present the 2007 Power to DREAM Achiever Award to Rick DeRennaux. Rick is from Moore, Oklahoma and is a Special Education teacher at Bethany High School. Since 1999 Rick has been the director of Tech-Now the Oklahoma High School High Tech program which currently consists of thirty-four program sites providing services to over 300 students per year. Tech-Now has been called the "Gold Standard" in technology education for the national High School High Tech programs. Tech-Now teaches skills that are relevant in the Twenty-first Century work place such as technical skills, creative problem solving, organizational, leadership, and team building. These are the same skills that allowed Rick to compete on the ABC television show American Inventor beating out over fifteen thousand individuals to become one of three finalists. Rick has overcome his own adversities that have made him such a wonderful educator and inventor. The power to DREAM Achiever award is a bronze sculpture of the institute’s logo, a child reaching for a star and is awarded yearly to someone who has overcome adversity and is giving back to help others overcome their adversities.

The night’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Helen Inbody, retired businesswoman from BAMA Foods and is now a motivational speaker.

Also being honored will be the 2007 DREAM Institute Scholars: Megan Malone, from Oklahoma City, OK and a graduate of Putnam City North High School. Megan is a freshman at Oklahoma State University where she wants to major in veterinary medicine. Scott Edwards is from Jenks, Oklahoma and is a graduate from Jenks High School. Scott attends Tulsa Community College and wants to transition to Oklahoma State University-Tulsa to study aviation business. Jonathan Hester is from Sapulpa Oklahoma and graduated from Sapulpa High School, Jonathan attends Northeastern State University in Tahlequah where he is looking at a degree in biology.

Currently there are 15 scholars in the program and Brandy Donelson will be the first to graduate with her degree in graphic design from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.

The 2007 Trustee Award of Excellence will be given to The University of Oklahoma-Tulsa. Dr. Gerald Clancy, President of OU-Tulsa will be accepting the award on OU-Tulsa’s behalf. The annual Trustee Award is awarded to individuals or organizations who have exemplified great efforts in helping the DREAM Institute accomplish its goals as an organization.

A new award named Pioneer of DREAMS Award will be presented to SAMSON. Chairman and CEO, Stacy Schusterman will be accepting this new award on behalf of SAMSON. The inaugural Pioneer of Dreams Award is bronze sculpture of a hand where a butterfly has landed. The name of the inaugural piece is titled “Lending a hand to fulfill Dreams. It will be awarded to individuals, organizations, or companies who have exemplified leadership in the community by making the dreams of dreamers come true through philanthropic endeavors, service, and entrepreneurship.

Some of the major supporters that have made these scholarships possible are: Henry Zarrow, The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, The Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Foundation, The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, The George Kaiser Family Foundation, The Hille Foundation, AEP/PSO, Samson, Senator Bob Dole, The Vincent Mulford Foundation, The Gelvin Foundation, Tulsa Community Foundation, Cox Communications, Emily and Phil Wood, David and Rita Adams, David and Molly Boren, The John Steele Zink Foundation, PERFORMANCE Magazine, Williams Companies, Tom and Stacy McKeon.

Past honorees of the Power to DREAM Achiever Award are Jim Stovall, President Co-Founder of Narrative Television Network, world renowned artist Greg Burns, and businessman Billy Robbins. Past Trustee Award for Excellence honorees are the Tulsa Community Foundation, University of Oklahoma Zarrow Center for Learning Enrichment and Tulsa Community College.

Sponsorship information is available by contacting the Institute at 918-588-3600. Individual tickets are $40.00. You may also download the following sponsorship form and mail to P.O. Box 52785, Tulsa, OK 74119. (Click here to open).

THE DREAM Institute’s 3rd Annual Power to DREAM Achievers Award Banquet a night of inspiration!

The theme of a very special evening recently at the Marriott Southern Hills Hotel that honored the three new DREAM Institute’s scholars was a quote by Helen Keller, “Every struggle is a victory”.(Click here to read on).

THE DREAM Institute’s 2nd Annual Power to DREAM Achievers Award Banquet was a huge success!

The theme of a very special evening recently at the Marriott Southern Hills Hotel that honored the four new DREAM Institute’s scholars was a quote by Booker T. Washington. “Success is not measure by the heights one attains, but by the obstacles one overcomes in its attainment”.

The evenings 2nd Annual Power to DREAM Achiever Award was presented to world renowned artist Greg Burns. Greg was presented with a bronze statue of the DREAM Institute’s logo, a child reaching for a star. Greg was born with Arthrogryposis, a muscle and joint disease, which affect the use of his arms and legs. He draws with the in his hand and adds watercolor by holding the brush in his teeth. Greg was accompanied by his wife Patricia and his service dog Carley. (Click here to read on).

1st Annual Power to DREAM Achievers Award Banquet

The Dream Institute honors their 6 Scholars, Jim Stovall, and the Tulsa Community Foundation

(Tulsa, OK) The theme of a very special night recently at the Downtown Doubletree Hotel that honored the DREAM Institute’s 6 scholars was a quote by Helen Keller. “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched- they must be felt with the heart.”

The evenings 1st Annual Power to DREAM Achiever Award was presented to Jim Stovall, President and Co-Founder of Narrative Television Network. Jim was presented with a bronze statue of a child reaching for a star which is the DREAM Institute’s logo.(Click here to read on).