OPEA likes to partner with other community groups who are doing good things around Oklahoma. One such group is S.H.I.N.E or Start Helping Impacted Neighborhoods Everywhere. S.H.I.N.E manifests itself with two different programs. They are working to provide alternatives to non-violent offenders and help Oklahoma’s overcrowded correctional facilities.
“Shine for Low Level Offenders,” utilizes a form of alternative sentencing to keep persons convicted of nonviolent crimes out of prison facilities. The program offers an alternative where they can hopefully become responsible husbands and fathers, wives and mothers. The price to be paid for this privilege is an eight hour work day, diligently cleaning, scrubbing, painting, pruning, mowing and other odd jobs on public lands contaminated with blight. These work days offer offenders exposure to honest, productive work with positive outcomes for which they can take credit. All this is achieved with minimal bureaucratic interference.
“Students For S.H.I.N.E” allows service hours for students from all walks of life to, at the outset, help their school district sparkle, while also instilling a strong sense of pride and accomplishment. As “Students for Shine” grows and prospers, students from all over Oklahoma will interface and network, knowing they have made, even in their early careers, a gift to their environment.
S.H.I.N.E is holding their annual fund raising fund raising concert featuring B.J. Thomas on April 28th at Riverwind Casino in Norman. They have made available a block of premium tickets available to OPEA members who want to experience a night of great music with a legendary singer and help out a program that is working to reduce Oklahoma’s overcrowded prisons while offering non-violent offenders a chance to develop the work ethic necessary to be successful.
On Thursday, April 28, legendary singer and five time Grammy award winner B.J. Thomas will appear at the Riverwind Casino, south of Norman in the annual Concert for SHINE and OPEA has been able to reserve a block of VIP tickets for our members. B.J. Thomas’ list of hits is amazing:
- “Hooked on a Feeling”
- “Rock and Roll Lullaby”
- “As Long as We’ve Got Each Other”
- “Mighty Clouds of Joy”
- “Eyes of a New York Woman”
- “Most of All”
- “Don’t Worry Baby”
- “Hey, Won’t You Play Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song, and
- His classic – “Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head”
OPEA’s Special Price for this concert is $55.00, almost half price of the regular VIP ticket To become part of this event, call the Riverwind Box Office at 405-322-6464 and when ordering mention that you are an OPEA member. Tickets are limited, so hurry. All proceeds from this event will go to the SHINE Foundation, which teaches public service and individual responsibility in our schools. Tickets are tax deductible.
