 Gary Adams (right), of Sonic, presented a $5,000 gift for the Alva Sonic Scholarship to Skeeter Bird (left), CEO, Northwestern Foundation & Alumni Association, for the benefit of Northwestern Oklahoma State University students. This donation is made possible by Alva’s Sonic Drive-in, Gary and Karen Adams and the Marvin and Barbara Jirous Foundation. |
NWOSU Foundation Release
$5,000 is presented to the University
Gary and Karen Adams, owners and operators of the local Sonic Drive-in, continue to support education with the Alva Sonic Scholarship. The Adamses recently presented a $5,000 gift to the Northwestern Foundation & Alumni Association for the benefit of Northwestern students. This donation is made possible by Alva’s Sonic Drive-in, Karen and Gary Adams and the Marvin and Barbara Jirous Foundation.
Karen (Arndt) was a student at Northwestern, class of 1991, and an employee at Alva Sonic Drive-In when she met Gary. They married five years later. To date, the couple – in association with the Alva Sonic Drive-In and the Marvin and Barbara Jirous Foundation – has given over $45,000 to various University projects and groups. Specifically, the Alva Sonic Scholarship endowment is now worth more than $32,000.
“Gary and Karen are always involved with Northwestern and our entire community in many generous ways,” said Skeeter Bird, Northwestern Foundation CEO. “We are extremely grateful they decided to leverage their gifts with the Marvin and Barbara Jirous Foundation to create this lasting legacy that will support our students in perpetuity.”
To be considered for the Alva Sonic Scholarship, applicants must meet all standard scholarship requirements, be an incoming freshman, full-time student attending classes on the Alva campus, and must have at least a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Preference will be given to applicants who hold permanent residence in the following geographical areas: Lamar, Colo.; Alva, Okla.; Warren, Ark.; Hobbs, N.M.; or Augusta, Kan.
For more information on the Alva Sonic Scholarship, or about investing in Northwestern students, contact Bird at 580-327-8599 or aebird@nwosu.edu.