Hennessey graduate Richard Simunek and his late wife, Zorita, have designated $3,156,840 in matching and outright contributions for several projects in their hometown.

He told Hennessey school board members about their $500,000 matching endowment for teachers at their Monday, Feb. 10, meeting and later released the total amount of their gifts.

Simunek made his first public announcement about their donations Jan. 27 at the public library. That’s where he told Friends of the Library members, library staff and supporters about the couple’s $1.35 million matching gift to the town for the library, history center and old school gym.

The gifts will become available after his death and are held by the Oklahoma City-based Communities Foundation of Oklahoma. Foundations typically earn about a 5 percent return on cash gifts, or when an irrevocable pledge converts to a cash donation, Simunek said.

Both Richard and Zorita (Zevely) Simunek graduated from HHS in 1964. She died in 2012 and Simunek returned to his hometown the next year where he has bought and preserved downtown properties.

He has also worked with the Hennessey United civic group and was elected to the town board last year.

Gift to teachers

The late Raymond Kokojan’s gifts to the Hennessey Public Schools “inspired me to do something for our teachers,” Simunek told school board members when he announced the $50,000 Zorita Zevely Simunek Teacher Fund.

Kokojan, a 1945 HHS graduate, left the school’s foundation four farms and oil and gas interests for CareerTech and college students, Simunek said at his library announcement.

He is in hopes that other HHS graduates, or those who call Hennessey their home, will help fund his, or other, community projects.

Teacher fund uses

Simunek told school board members that income earned from matching funds in the 11th year may be used for Hennessey teachers as decided by both the school board and the Hennessey Educational Foundation.

The money may be used for “teaching materials and equipment, tuition for further education and related educational expenses, educational travel within the United States and overseas, to provide matching funds for submitted grants, teacher bonuses, foundation advertising and any other teacher enhancement purpose deemed worthy.”

Both the school and foundation are to decide how funds will be awarded to teacher applicants.

Unmatched funds in the 11th year will go to the Zorita Zevely Simunek and Anita Hill Zevely (Zorita’s mother) OSU Foundation endowed scholarship.

Another condition is that either the school or foundation must gather and maintain an email list of graduates so information about the foundation’s gift-giving is shared with them.

All school board members were present at the meeting: President Patrick Griffin, Vice President Dr. James Matthew Matousek, Clerk Luke Lough, Joe Garrison and Cristopher Choate.

Scout funds

The only other gift that requires matching funds is the Christian Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, $50,000. Those matching programs may receive all interest income from the endowed funds for the first 10 years.

Outright gifts to town

Simunek also provided a list of the non-matching gifts to the town. If properties are not used for the items listed then funds would go to the Zevely OSU scholarship fund.

• Proposed pavilion, $500,000 and 11 lots ($47,000) on property south of the former Lee Lumber property owned by Simunek and to be given to the town.

• John C. Karcher Museum, $150,000 gift and old Sinclair Gas Station, $50,000, located on the northeast corner of Main and Third streets.

• Entrepreneur Center at old Barber (109 S. Main) and Beauty (111 S. Main when owner Louise Clements retires) shops (no cash amounts listed), but town is to refurbish buildings for use by businesses.

• Champlin Gas Station Bed and Breakfast/old Hospital Building (located on the northwest corner of Main and Third). Simunek notes that the Champlin Building is assessed at $459,840, and no valuation on hospital (222 S. Main).

• Grant Writer Position, $50,000.

• Town Board Required Training, NODA class on Rural Economic Action Plan and Oklahoma Municipal League’s Grant Writing Workshop (No gift, but if not completed in two years by each member then income from the Zevely Pavilion Fund and Champlin apartments reverts to Zevely OSU fund.)