The recent tornadoes that destroyed homes and lives in Oklahoma have left an irreversible imprint upon a city that has seen more than its share of destruction. Houses, cars and other material possessions can be replaced, but memories immortalized in the pages of a photo album can never be duplicated.

PHOTO OK PROJECT is a nonprofit volunteer-based organization to help coordinate all the various agencies, churches, and disaster relief groups who have joined together to make the process of recovering lost cherished photographs easier for the thousands of people whose homes or businesses were destroyed from this terrible tragedy.

As you can well imagine, this is a massive undertaking.

The web site www.tornadophotos.com was up within 24 hours of the storms and will be used as a tool to help identify various photo recovery groups and church efforts.

Seventy-six (76) tornadoes including the first new category F6 tornado created a terrible tragedy in Oklahoma on May 3rd. The first priority of this projects founder Kenn Bird was getting the message out that some central organization was working on this task. That priority was met by continuos PSA radio announcements made by (12) local FM stations and (7) AM stations. We currently have identified 42 printed news articles in state and national newspapers regarding the Project. All network affiliate television stations including National Public Radio and Educational Stations have done stories. The web site www.tornadophotos.com was up within 24 hours of the storm and is being used as a tool to help identify various photo recovery groups. The web site is designed,updated,and hosted by Tim Watson of Visual Inventor, a design group in Oklahoma City. Within the next thirty days we are going to collect and act as a clearinghouse for the various groups' left over photos that weren't returned. In the weeks ahead we will accept collections from any of these organizations that wish to deposit them with us.

KINKOS CORPORATE has reserved free computer stations available at all locations to assist families in accessing the database being created of all the photographs that have been recovered 24 hours a day-7days a week. Kinko's will also be making available printed catalogs to view the photographs. THE WILLIAMS COMPANY has taken on the significant burden of digitally scanning the massive quantity of photographs collected. KENN BIRD+ASSOCIATES founded this project to bring together the needed volunteers,companies,churches,and talented individuals to achieve one goal-to help people reunite their cherished photographs and rebuild the memories that these photographs represent.

THE PHOTO OK PROJECT is in alliance and cooperation with FEMA Voluntary Agency Liaison, Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management, and OKVOAD which unites communication and help to over 50 federal,state,and local relief efforts.

Kenn Bird, Project Leader