Clark to speak at Democratic fundraiser tonight
Originally published in the Daily O'Collegian
Clark to speak at Democratic fundraiser tonight
Dallas Hammer
Chief Reporter
Retired Gen. Wesley Clark will be the featured speaker at a Payne County Democrats fundraiser tonight at 6 p.m.
Clark’s speech, held at the Payne County Expo Center, will appeal to anyone interested in government or political science and people who have been or are involved with the military, said Kathy Huston, publication coordinator for the Payne County Democrats.
“Because he’s been an exemplary leader of our country, and because his political career, I personally hope, is still alive and well, coming to hear him would be inspiring,” Huston said. “And students could learn much from what he has to say, and who knows, they might be listening to a future president of the United States.”
The fundraiser, called the Bray Fest, is one of two annual events held to help finance the organization’s activities. In the past, average attendance has been about 200, she said. However, the organization has sold about 350 tickets of the 500 available for tonight’s fundraiser.
The event will be held in the Heritage Hall of the expo center, east of Perkins Road on Sixth Avenue. Tickets cost $20 in advance or $25 at the door.
The price of admission includes dinner, and the event should last until about 8:30, Huston said. Information about this event or the county party can be found by calling 405-678-1336 or 405-372-4166.
Speakers at the event will include state Sen. Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater; Lisa Pryor, the state party chairwoman; and James Huston, chairman of the county organization.
The organization will also award scholarships to OSU students from its OSU Young Democrats scholarship fund, Huston said.
Additionally, the OSU Young Democrats will produce a political musical, “My Fair Democrat.”
Huston said she was thrilled that Clark was coming to Stillwater and attributes the high turnout expected at the fundraiser to his attendance.
“He was very, very popular here,” Huston said.
Clark won Oklahoma in his 2004 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.
He retired from the U.S. Army in 2000 as a four-star general and the supreme allied commander of NATO in Europe. Clark has led troops in places such as Kosovo and Bosnia. Throughout his career, Clark received awards for his service, including the Presidential Medal for Freedom and the Purple Heart.
He has remained politically active, supporting John Kerry in 2004 after Clark ended his own campaign. He has also formed WesPac, an organization dedicated to electing Democrats and providing leadership on national security issues, according to the organization’s Web site.
Clark was also a Rhodes scholar and has written two books.
The proceeds of the event will help the organization finance Democratic candidates and build the party in Payne County. The organization will also share part of the proceeds with the statewide party because of the role it played in getting Clark to come to Stillwater, Huston said.
