BNSF News

Tulsa, Okla., Employees Donate Holiday Gifts to Area Boys' Academy

2009-12-21

Every year BNSF employees in Tulsa, Okla., donate holiday gifts to a Hugo, Okla., academy for boys ages 8 to 18.

While it is a gracious gesture under any circumstances, the roots of the employees' generosity go much deeper. The assistance began when employees rallied around Ben Clark and his wife, Nan, after the death of their daughter, Sarah.

Ben Clark, manager, Operating Rules, and his family became involved with the Goodland Boys Academy about 10 years ago when two of his in-laws joined the board. Goodland is an accredited residential home for boys with behavior and family issues.

Sarah Clark "adopted" a boy one Christmas after learning about the academy. After distributing gifts to the boys one evening, she insisted that her father play "Santa" at the next event. Ben Clark agreed and has played the role nearly every year since then.

Sarah died in an auto accident as she was returning from Dallas after an apartment-hunting trip in 2007. She was preparing to begin a new job at the Dallas Museum of Art.

Since then, the BNSF team in Tulsa has rallied around the Clarks and has made donations every year in Sarah's memory. This year, the team raised enough money to provide $100 gift cards for each of the 15 boys residing in the academy.

"We have been incredibly humbled that the team has continued to support the boys in her memory," Ben Clark said.

About the photo: "Santa Claus," as played by Ben Clark, poses with boys at the Goodland Academy's Christmas event. BNSF employees have provided gifts for the boys since Clark's daughter died.

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