Diversity Day draws hundreds of visitors.
By Kelley Chambers - Staff Writer
Diversity Day activities kicked off bright and early Tuesday with a celebration of race, gender, disability awareness and the diverse heritage of people from all around the world who are represented at Tinker.
Six observance groups on the base presented dances, songs and stories devoted to what makes them unique yet an integral part of the Tinker community.
The event is the first of its kind at Tinker.
Roena Greuel, a 76th Maintenance Wing, Quality Assurance management analyst, gave an account of losing her leg as a child as the result of a car accident. Her talk was part of the presentation by Disability Awareness.
She brought along a collection of prosthetic limbs including a wooden leg she was fitted with at age four.
As technology has advanced over the years, Greuel said some prosthetic limbs now contain a computer in the knee, which can be programmed to mimic the gait and movements of an amputee’s lost limb.
The new legs, however, are not cheap. Greuel said they can run about $42,000. She said the computer alone costs upwards of $25,000.
Greuel’s prosthetic leg is the same type she said is being fitted for soldiers at the Walter Reed Medical Center who have lost limbs in combat.
In the workplace, Greuel said the biggest challenge for amputees is ill-fitting prosthetics, which can hobble workers and make it difficult for them to do their jobs.
Another hurdle for people who have recently lost a limb and been fitted with a prosthetic is a reluctance to talk about the issue, Greuel said.
“A lot of new amputees don’t want to talk with you because they think ‘I’m not one of you yet,’” she said. “But they come around, it just takes a while.”
Three separate sessions devoted to the African-American Heritage Committee included a dancer, a story teller and a dramatic presentation.
Shatoria Lowe, senior airman with the 72nd Mission Support Squadron relocation and employment office, performed as part of the African-American dance presentation.
Lowe described her performance as a ‘praise and worship’ dance to the music of a song titled ‘Someday We’ll All Be Free.’
Lowe described her dance and why it is important to her.
“It symbolizes my African-American heritage and the person that I am,” she said. “Dancing is my joy.”
In addition to her contribution, Lowe praised the event for educating people about other cultures and said she would like to see a Diversity Day held every year.
“There are a lot of cultures I don’t know about that I’m learning about today,” she said. “I love it.”
The free event was attended by hundreds of military personnel as well as civilians and family members who came out to see an abundance of diverse presentations and enjoy hot dogs and hamburgers.
The other observance groups participating included Asian Pacific American Heritage, Hispanic American Heritage, Tinker Inter-Tribal Council and Federally Employed Women.
Capt. Claudia Gortva, Airfield Operations Flight commander, 72nd Operational Support Squadron and event organizer, said she was pleased with the turnout for Diversity Day.
“At any one time we’ve had 150 people in here,” she said looking around the crowded Bldg. 230 on dock two where the event was held.
Capt. Gortva said organizers began planning the event in February to include the different observance groups at the base.
She said the event is not meant to detract from individual times of focus, such as Black History Month, but rather it brings many diverse people together to share in the day-long celebration.
“This event allows all of us to learn from each other,” she said.
