Will Roges Days 2007

In the spirit of Will
Garth Brooks received the Tulsa Rotary Club of Will Rogers’ Will Rogers Spirit Award to end the Will Rogers Days celebration — marking Will’s 128th birthday. More than 700 friends and fans of Garth and Will gathered in Tulsa for the gala which raised funds for club projects and Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation. A resident of Rogers County, he is the top selling solo artist in history. ( Photo Courtesy Tom Gilbert, Tulsa World)

Pony Express rides again
Scott Gouard, Will Rogers Roundup Club president, presents Will Rogers’ grandson, Kem Rogers, with contents of saddlebags handed off to five runners in the annual Pony Express ride from W ill Rogers Trail on Oologah Lake to the Claremore Will Rogers Memorial Museum. Riders then joined in the Will Rogers Days parade.

Grand marshal
Clem McSpadden, great-nephew of Will Rogers and eldest son of Herb McSpadden who managed Will’s ranch near Oologah, was the grand marshal for the Will Rogers Days parade.

Grandson
Will Rogers grandson Kem Rogers rides in the annual parade.

Cherokees
Cherokee Chief Chad Smith and his wife Bobbie joined Rogers Cherokee Association on a parade for Will Rogers Days.

Parade marshal
State Rep. Tad Jones, his wife. Sammie, and sons, Blake and Logan, wave to crowds along the Will Rogers Days parade route. Rep. Jones and State Sen. Sean Burrage were parade marshals.

Clem Rogers' family
Clem and Mary Rogers came in from the Dog Iron Ranch with their children for the Will Rogers Days parade; followed by Will,  (Andy Hogan) trick roping his way along the route. E.J. Snider and his team from Chelsea pulled the surrey with the fringe on top.

Giant balloon
In the tradition of Macy’s parades, RCB Bank presented a huge balloon in the Will Rogers Days parade.

Tradition
It’s as traditional as the annual exchange visit to Claremore. Students from Muravlenko, Claremore’s sister in Russia, ride in the Will Rogers Days parade.

Centennial spirit
More than 100 years of raising cowboys and cowgirls this float carried a family representing Oklahoma’s Centennial and a celebration of Will as a Cherokee cowboy.

Days of the past
Oklahoma has survived the Dust Bowl Days when contraptions like this carried the Joad family to California looking for work.

Family of cowboys
This group of horsemen is a family of parading cowboys in the Reimer-McCoy tradition.

Shriners
Shriners make a parade as they entertain along the route in their funny cars.