Gateway First Bank in Tonkawa is hosting an open house celebration in honor of Veterans Day on Friday, November 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The bank is located at 111 East Grand. Veterans and their families are invited so that the community can recognize their selfless contributions and sacrifices.State Senator Bill Coleman will join everyone to give a small speech at 12:30 p.m.Each year, there is a beautiful display of elaborate, hand-stitched quilts made by three Tonkawa residents. Patty Levings McCune, Sherry Jeffries Fields, and Kipp Gottman have stitched over 100 quilts, including those displayed by Gateway, for local veterans and those killed in action. Williams Construction Company of Tonkawa made and donated 10 quilt racks for the display.Letters from local school children to area veterans and flags representing each branch of service are also on display. Veteran Mike Schatz provided the flags and a rare copy of a book on Tonkawa veterans. The book is one of only five published. Photographs from the book will be used to create a video that will play throughout the day during November, honoring each local veteran.This year, the Tonkawa Museum will also provide Veteran’s Day memorabilia to display at Gateway First Bank from October 30 to November 13.A big thank you goes to Venture Foods for donating a portion of the refreshments.“On behalf of Gateway First Bank and its team members, we extend our thanks and gratitude to all the veterans in the community for your service to our country,” says Scott Gesell, Gateway CEO. “We all benefit from the service and sacrifices you and your families made while you fulfilled your critical mission. We also appreciate your continued engagement in our community. We all must remember that freedom is not free and that you and your families have paid a significant part of the cost for this – we are eternally appreciative.”Gateway employees will also be walking in the Tulsa Veteran’s Day parade alongside their co-workers who are military veterans on Friday, November 10. Then, on Monday, November 13, Gateway’s newest banking center team in Bartlesville, OK, will participate in the local community veteran’s day parade.
