Serge Ibaka and Bob Goff to speak at Associates Gala

The 13th-Annual Associates Gala will feature Serge Ibaka, forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Bob Goff, New York Times Best-Selling author of “Love Does”.

The gala is an annual event for alumni and friends of Oklahoma Christian University to meet together and celebrate the previous year of the university.

“We also celebrate, primarily, our associates,” Will Blanchard, director of Advancement Operations, said. “Associates are families who give $1000 or more to the general scholarship program.”

The event is a way to honor the donors for investing in the students, Blanchard said.

“They desire to do good for this campus,” Blanchard said. “It’s a fun way to say ‘thank you,’ to see those people in person.”

Various people, including Blanchard, are involved in fundraising. President John deSteiguer is hosting the event.

Oklahoma Christian will honor Ibaka with the Lee Allan Smith Spirit of Oklahoma Award, which celebrates men and women who exemplify the spirit of Oklahoma.

“He’s a great athlete, he’s also a good man,” Blanchard said. “He’s done a lot of work with non-profits, and he’s done a lot of work to serve people at the Congo. And he’s just represented Oklahoma in a stellar way on the national stage.”

According to Blanchard, Bob Goff was chosen as a special guest because of his contribution to the Christian faith with his novel “Love Does” — a book about the importance of showing love.

“[Love Does] shares a lot of our core values, it’s very fun loving and high-spirited,” Blanchard said. “I think he’ll have a lot to say that really speaks to who we are about OC.”

Blanchard said there is something special about people from outside of the university coming to talk about the school.

“It’s always great to hear from our people about OC, but I think there’s something special too about when you have someone coming from outside who’s an expert in their fields and speaks to the value of our culture,” Blanchard said.

The annual gala draws a unique crowd, according to Blanchard.

“There [are] people all over the place who wouldn’t even know we care so much about what’s happening here, or care about our students so much that they’re giving,” Blanchard said. “So we get hundreds of people in a room we’re all investing in.”

Blanchard said the Associates Gala is one of his favorite nights of the year because it is a time when the associates can get together in one room.

“They’re all high energy, they love the school, they love the students they’re investing so much,” Blanchard said. “So getting them all together is a powerful thing. It’s one of the moments they all get to spend time together.”

The Associates Gala will be held at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum on Sept. 17.

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