Page 46 - January/February 2023 Outdoor Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION FOUNDATION SPOTLIGHT

Sponsors Ensure Success

of 2nd Call of the Wild Gala

The generous support of individual and corporate sponsors was key in making
the 2022 Call of the Wild Gala a rousing success. The fund-raising event drew
hundreds of patrons to the Omni Hotel and Convention Center in Oklahoma City
on Oct. 6 to enjoy a wonderful dinner, live auction, and the induction of J. Larry
Nichols into the Oklahoma Conservation Hall of Fame.
The funds raised by the Foundation are in turn donated to support the important
activities of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, a state agency that
receives no general tax appropriations from the state but is charged with overseeing
Oklahoma’s fish, wildlife and natural habitat for this generation and those to come.
OWCF Executive Director Rick Grundman praised all of the patrons who con-
tributed during the event and especially the Gala’s sponsors. “Their generosity
enables us to support the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation by
providing much-needed state match funds for federal grants.
“We are humbled by this year’s Gala sponsors. We are proud these Oklahoma busi-
nesses share the same passion and dedication to fish and wildlife as we do. Their con-
tributions will make a significant impact for Oklahoma’s fish and wildlife species and the
habitats where they live. And we are excited for the future of Oklahoma’s outdoors!”
BREA ARSENAULT/COURTESY OWCF

OWCF Executive Director Rick Grundman and Board Member Ethan House welcome honoree J.
Larry Nichols to the podium.
BREA ARSENAULT/COURTESY OWCF

The bids kept rising for some of the items in the live auction at the 2022 OWCF Call of the Wild Gala.

44 OUTDOOR OKLAHOMA