Media release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Cushing resident Molly Payne was recognized Tuesday with the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services’ Excellence in Communications award.
The awards ceremony honoring Payne was part of DRS’ 29th People with Disabilities Awareness Day.
More than 600 Oklahomans with disabilities, service providers and supporters participated in legislative visits at the State Capitol and a resource fair with 76 exhibit tables at the Oklahoma History Center.
Oklahoma Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell congratulated award winners for exceptional achievements and contributions to the disability community.
Senator Tom Dugger (District 21) who was in legislative session sent an official citation recognizing Payne.
Commission for Rehabilitation Services Member Theresa Flannery and DRS Executive Director Melinda Fruendt emceed the awards.
“For more than a decade, Molly Payne has been a top radio personality, station manager and the Queen of 1600 KUSH AM Radio in Cushing,” Fruendt said. ”She has interviewed DRS experts about most of the agency’s 25 disability programs – not for 3 minutes, but for more than an hour each time.”
In 2022, a rising country star named Cutter Elliot from Norman and his manager Paul Reeves approached Molly about giving away a new guitar during their live performance on her show.
Molly convinced Elliot and Reeves to donate the instrument instead to Oklahoma School for the Blind’s Jazz Band. The pair performed live at the school for students and staff before Christmas and personally presented the guitar to grateful students.
Cutter Elliott and Paul Reeves are now based in Nashville and planning to do a similar giveaway for the Tennessee School for the Blind.
Born in Pawnee, Molly grew up and graduated from high school in Woodward. She moved to Cushing, traveled the U.S. with her family and returned to Cushing in 2008.
“Molly’s interesting questions relax nervous guests and inform her loyal audience about DRS services available to help them succeed,” Fruendt added..
Payne is also the writer and editor of HOME magazine, the widow of Gjon Payne, a mother grandmother and Americana music lover.
More than 13,600 have participated in People with Disabilities Awareness Day since DRS began hosting the free event in 1995.
“For nearly three decades, People with Disabilities Awareness Day has provided the best opportunity for Oklahomans with disabilities to share their personal stories with lawmakers and gather information about life-changing disability services on the same day,” Theresa Flannery said. “The award winners are role models for others who see that it’s possible to achieve their own dreams.”
The Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services served 184,082 people in State Fiscal Year 2022.
An estimated 614,800 Oklahomans or 15.8% have disabilities, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.
For more information, visit www.okdrs.gov or phone 800-845-8476.
