April is Volunteer Month and many local organizations depend on volunteers every day Volunteers are a huge part of what makes this country run. Without volunteers, many organizations would cease to exist. This is why Iris Park, Director (and volunteer) of Heartland Heritage Museum & Gallery and the Checotah Art Guild (CAG) wanted to thank all her volunteers for everything they do.

“I want to give a shout out and praise the volunteers at the Heartland Heritage Museum & Gallery in Checotah,” Park said. “These gifted and dedicated individuals are the heart and soul of this organization and it wouldn’t be the same without them. When you visit the museum, it is a volunteer who greets you at the door with a smile and welcome. When you come into the gallery, again, it’s a volunteer who shows you around, imparting bits of information about our artists and invites you, if you are an artist yourself, to join the Checotah Art Guild. Even when you stop to purchase a souvenir in the Double H Gift Shoppe, it is a volunteer who helps you.

“To list the names of these important people would be a list almost as long as the membership role of the CAG. These people have taken responsibility to keep the facility open, and neat and clean for everyone who visits. Without a doubt, the Heartland Heritage Museum & Gallery would not be the vital part of downtown Checotah it is today without our volunteers.

“Our museum holds a first-rate history of McIntosh County and highlights Checotah as the Steer Wrestling Capital of the World. We are excited to soon be showing interviews and video clips of many famous horsemen and women from Checotah in our ‘Cowboy Corner’ in the museum. We know this will bring more value to our museum, and hopefully more locals and visitors will come in and see what they have been missing.

“I just want to say, thank you, volunteers. With your continued help and dedication, Heartland Heritage and CAG will continue to give visitors from nearby and far away a positive taste of who we are. You are AWESOME!”

The Heartland Heritage Museum & Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. the CAG holds Open Art for artists to bring their work and come join other artists in friendship and fellowship.

For information about the Heartland Heritage Museum & Gallery or how to join the CAG call 405-5703569.