Photo OK Project Sets July 1 As Deadline For Photo Drop Boxes

Eastman Kodak, FEMA Now Involved with Project to Save and Return Photos to Storm Victims

OKLAHOMA CITY - July 1 is the target date or Oklahomans to drop off unidentified photos found amid debris of the May 3 tornadoes, and Eastman Kodak will begin the task of repairing and restoring lost memories.

"We are trying to get these photos collected by July 1 so we can get them to Eastman Kodak, which will begin the mammoth task of scanning the photos into a database." said Kenn Bird, Photo OK. Project coordinator. "We have a lot of memories that were scattered to the winds on May 3, and we have much work to do to return them to their owners."

Churches and other organizations have been collecting the photos, and the Photo OK. Project seeks to get the photos "under one electronic roof" by scanning them in to a database. Once the database is complete, the photos will be available for viewing from that database ar local Kinkos Copies locations. Kinkos will have printed catalogs made available of f the photographs as well. However, that will take some time, as it may take weeks to scan the thousands of photos collected since the disasters. Bird asks Oklahomans to be patient.

"We're volunteers working as fast as we can to get this project where it needs to be so that folks can begin their personal searches for their lost photos," Bird said. "As soon as we get photos to Eastman Kodak, the sooner the database is ready. We will then make sure the public knows where to go and exactly how to access these photos."

Eastman Kodak has agreed to assist the mammoth project in several ways; including loan of staff and the latest in photo repair and reproduction equipment as well as consulting and technical resources to assist the cataloging, indexing, and identification of photographs stored in a database and free, secure storage for scanned images online with the Kodak Photo Net service.

Realizing that not all photos will be recovered, and many of those recovered may no be repairable, Kodak is offering an opportunity for family and friends of storm victims to make free copies of photos they may have. The PhotosNet service will provide free, nationwide access to friends and extended family members who have photographs of the affected families that they wish to scan up to Kodak PhotoNet Online service.

"This will help rebuild memories by replacing lost or almost totally destroyed photographs with similar or complementary photos," Bird said. "We are so greatly appreciative to Eastman Kodak for their generosity and willingness to help."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will assist Photo OK and Eastman Kodak in identifying storm victims to make certain that only legitimate parties reclaim photos recovered after the disaster.

Additionally, Eastman Kodak will send the Kodak Recreational Vehicle- essentially a mobile high-tech photo lab - to assist families in the restoration of cherished but damaged photos. This includes free printing of those images of new Kodak paper with enhanced durability.

Bird said that once all photos are in July 1, he expects about another thirty days before they will be scanned and ready for viewing by the public.

"It's important that folks go to one of the drop-off sites in the metro area and leave the photos they have recovered in the assigned box, marked with the Photo OK logo," Bird said. Bird added that "several thousand" photos have already been collected, and project volunteers are preparing or as many as 10,000. All individuals, churches, relief agencies, and others with lost photo collections should deposit them in Photo OK Project boxes.

Oklahomans have until July 1 to drop off any unidentified photos at any of the 75 drop - off sites in the Metro area. These sites include local churches, all Kinkos locations, KFOR -TV studios at 444 E. Britton Road, KOCO -TV studios at 1300 E. Britton Road, DWTB TV studios at 7401 N. Kelley Ave., Epperson Photo and Video, 3110 N. May Ave., or any Metro Hobby Lobby location. Photos may also be mailed directly to Photo OK. Project, 1301 Timberlake Ave., Edmond OK 73034.

Bird also stressed that people should not try to clean or repair photos. "Please, lets leave any photo restoration to the experts at Kodak," he said. "If a photo is muddy or dirty, leave it that way. We will have a better shot at saving a photo if there hasn't been an attempt ot clean it."

Note to editors and reporters:
All media inquires about Photo OK. Project should now be referred to Alex Greenwood at (405) 850-2477. Please do not publish this number. Kenn Bird will continue to coordinate the project by wishes all media contact Mr. Greenwood with inquires or request for interviews.