Hennessey Shines Bright at Red Carpet Night!
What a fantastic evening it was on Thursday, April 24th, as Hennessey United rolled out the red carpet for some truly special people! The Red Carpet Night was a celebration of the incredible individuals who pour their time and energy into making our community the wonderful place it is.
The night was filled with well-deserved recognition for our amazing volunteers. The Friends of the Library celebrated the dedication of Ginger Cox, Ann Taylor, and Dedee Krueger for helping with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library that giving free books to 340 children in Kingfisher County. It was stated that a lot of our Hennessey Civic groups support this initiative such as The Hennessey Lion’s Club and Hennessey United.
LaVonne O’Bryant was honored by The Golden Eagles, LaVonne, who just turned 90 years old, helps with the Senior Citizens Center and supports the Golden Eagles when needed by providing a venue, food and accommodations for meetings when needed.
The Farmerettes recognized Pansy Wheeler.
The Hennessey Lions Club shone a spotlight on long-time winner Jule Babiak. Jule stated that she was given this award twenty-two years ago, and it was presented by Tim Riddle back then, like it was this time.
The tireless volunteers at the food bank, Lisa Bossa, Jeanie Brown, Patty Cameron, Denise Brim, and Kenny Brown were recognized by the Ministerial Alliance. And the Powder & String Club celebrated the contributions of Jack Choate III.
The applause continued as our exceptional educators were named Teachers of the Year! Mrs. Flo Conway received not one, but two awards: the Hennessey Early Childhood Center Teacher of the Year and the Hennessey Elementary Site Teacher of the Year. Flo is retiring this year and will be greatly missed. Mrs. Chelli Rapp was celebrated as the Hennessey Middle School Teacher of the Year. Cheli was honored for her exceptional teaching, which has led to a higher percentage of students achieving average to above-average math scores. Mrs. Kim Gritz earned the title of Hennessey High School Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Gritz has been honored as both the 2024-2025 Hennessey High School Teacher of the Year and the overall District Teacher of the Year. With a diverse teaching portfolio that includes science, STEAM, and computer science, Kim has won $$$ in grant money.
The final recipient of the evening was the presentation of the Hennessey United’s Citizen of the Year award to the deserving Dagan Hardin. President Scott Hajek stated “Dagan is the driving force behind the Wine and Chocolate Festival. He is in charge of getting all the vendors to participate as well as spending a week setting up tents and tables for the event. Then he takes everything down and stores them. He has served as the past president of Hennessey United and the Lions Club. Anytime something needs done around the community, you can bet Dagan will be there to lend a helping hand.”
A huge round of applause goes to President Scott Hajek and the entire Hennessey United team, and of course, no celebration is complete without a little something sweet! A big thank you to The Quilting Baker, Sweet & Sassy, and Lori from Sparky’s for providing the delicious cookies and punch.
Here’s to all the volunteers, dedicated leaders, and everyday heroes who make Hennessey a place we’re so proud to call home! (Photos by AAH Shelley Muzny.)
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