"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Cherokees Partner with Akdar Shrine

"Emily Locker of Owasso will be one of the first children transported by the new van used by the Akdar Shriners in Tulsa. The Cherokee Nation recently donated the van to the Shriners to transport children and their families to hospitals around the country."

TULSA, OKLAHOMA - Helping to provide transportation to children with special medical needs, the Cherokee Nation recently contributed $25,000 to the Akdar Shrine to purchase a 17-passenger van.

“It is a privilege for the Cherokee Nation to assist organizations that work to keep children healthy,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “These young people live in our communities. They are our children and our neighbor’s children. We are happy to provide them with safe transportation so that they can receive the medical care they need.”

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a network of 22 pediatric hospitals in the United States, Canada and Mexico providing specialized care for orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate. All services are provided at no charge.

Locally, the Akdar Shrine has helped more than 1,700 children this year. According to Jim Baker, Akdar Shrine Potentate, the van contributed by the Cherokee Nation will be a welcome addition to their fleet.

“The Akdar Shrine is thankful for the support of the Cherokee Nation,” said Baker. “This van will help us to help hundreds of children and that’s what our organization is all about.”

Sarah Locker and her daughter Emily are one of the families that the van will help to transport to and from doctor’s appointments and they know first-hand how important transportation is to the Shriners and the children and families that they help to support.

“We’ve been making trips to Shreveport for 13 years now,” said Sarah Locker. “The Akdar Shrine makes a lot of trips throughout the year and it doesn’t take long for the miles to rack up on the vans. Good transportation is critical to the families associated with the Shriners. Many of them couldn’t afford to make the trips without the help of the Akdar Shrine.”

Emily Locker is an eighth-grader in Owasso who understands how important the van is to the Akdar Shrine Temple. She says that the Cherokee Nation’s support means a great deal to her because it will help the Shriners to help other kids like her feel better.

“The Shriners always need vans,” said Sarah Locker. “I don’t even have the words to express my gratitude to the Cherokee Nation for helping the Akdar Shrine. For me, it’s like being at a restaurant when someone gives your child a balloon and you get this absurd bubble of happiness. Well, the Cherokee Nation’s contribution is like that, only times a million.”