AskChesapeake

Senior adults, children and members of the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Downtown Fort Worth YMCA are now enjoying easier access into and out of the James L. & Eunice West pool.

Red, yellow, blue and gray were the color choices, and red appeared to be the overwhelming favorite. And what kid on the first day of school wouldn’t want to carry a brand new red-detailed backpack? No longer considered a luxury, this multi-pocketed carry-all is a requirement for every elementary school student.

Chesapeake Energy employees donated more than 20,000 volunteer hours during the H.E.L.P. initiative - Helping Energize Local Projects. These efforts benefited a variety of charitable and community organizations nationwide.

Chesapeake Energy’s scaled model of natural gas drilling operations and equipment is now on display at the Fort Worth Central Library through September 7. The Barnett Shale in North Central Texas became the most talked-about subject for months, when horizontal drilling techniques made it possible to develop the natural gas below the 17-20 county area that the Barnett encompasses.

Sixteen deserving graduates in the Class of 2009 have been awarded scholarships of up to $80,000 each to pursue their dreams of achieving a college degree.

The Chesapeake Scholarship Fund was established to benefit minority and socially disadvantaged youth in select high schools in the Dallas Independent School District and all of the high schools in the Fort Worth Independent School District.

The last day of June was a busy day at North Richland Hills Fire Station 4, as fire fighters and emergency medical technicians traveled to and from the station answering a variety of emergency calls. Yet in the midst of the activity, several crew members were able to take a moment to relax and enjoy a barbecue lunch, courtesy of Chesapeake Energy.

On a recent sunny morning on Fort Worth’s eastside, boys grinned from ear to ear as they filed out of school buses to begin playing football, basketball, checkers and chess as part of the much-anticipated May Day in the Park Celebration.

Kathryn needed help. That is why she recently walked through the doors of Operation Blessing in Cleburne. At about the same time, Chesapeake Energy was presenting a truck to the venerable operation that has helped the needy and distraught in Johnson County for 29 years.

The two elderly gentlemen, each wearing a Congressional Gold Medal around their neck, stood before a student-packed auditorium at Monnig Middle School and explained how they went about receiving the most prestigious honor a civilian can get from the United States government.

Welcome to the math and science “trail” at Texas Christian University, where on March 9 and March 11 a total of 240 students from Fort Worth elementary schools learned some math and science, while at the same time having fun.

Chesapeake Energy is encouraging all of Tarrant County to giddy-up and give this Christmas holiday. As one of the top sponsors for the second year in a row, Chesapeake and its employees are helping carry on this yuletide Fort Worth tradition of gift-giving and generosity.

‘Tis the season of celebration and merriment, and Fort Worth knows how to ring in the fun! The Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights will illuminate the season on Friday, November 28 in Sundance Square with a glittering procession of floats, music, marchers and good cheer that will set the city’s heart aglow.

Lights, cameras … animals? All were on hand for the unveiling of the newly constructed Chesapeake Pavilions on Thursday, October 23, just in time to kick off this year’s “Boo at the Zoo” festivities.

A nod of the head. A smile. A firm handshake. These simple gestures can go a long way toward building a close, tight-knit community. Burleson Police Chief Tom Cowan understands the value of a personal connection between police officers and residents, and recognizes that this relationship can be nurtured more easily from the saddle of a bicycle than from the seat of a patrol car.

Brand new backpacks, some nearly as big as their owners, became a source of pride for the more than 7,000 children who were served at the fourth annual Back to School Roundup in Fort Worth on August 23. As co-presenting sponsor, Chesapeake Energy was pleased to participate for the second consecutive year in this event, which provides children from low-income families the tools they need to succeed in the classroom.

“Rubber Duckie, I’m awfully fond of you!” The Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains, Inc. can certainly identify with the sentiment of Sesame Street’s muppet character Ernie, as the organization eagerly awaits the adoption of thousands of little, yellow toy ducks and their subsequent swim on October 18. As the “Top Duck” title sponsor for this important fund-raising event, Chesapeake Energy invites the entire community to flock to the fourth annual “Duck Day on the Trinity.”

The last week or so has been tough for Denice Robertson and her fiancé, Donald Babino. They and their young children were chased from their homes in Beaumont by Hurricane Ike, sent to an overcrowded shelter in Tyler and, most recently, transported to a much friendlier – but still-not-home -- shelter in Cleburne.

Presenting sponsor of the “People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic,” Chesapeake encourages all wine lovers, from connoisseurs to enthusiasts, to sample Texas vintages to be poured from more than 35 wineries from the Lone Star state. Recognized as the largest consumer-judged wine competition in the United States, the event will feature 11 sessions over the weekend, with wines being judged in 10 categories. Awards will be presented at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Johnson County first responders — those men and women who serve and protect the community daily — were the honored guests at a barbeque dinner provided and served by Chesapeake Energy employees and others. Area law enforcement officers included the Texas Rangers, firefighters, corrections and communications personnel, the Johnson County Area Crisis Response Team, Search and Rescue and EMS personnel, who all enjoyed a delicious meal with all the fixin's. Careflight and Texas LifeStar5 flew in to enjoy lunch, too! The barbeque dinner was provided to show all first responders of Johnson County our appreciation for their hard work and dedication.

The excitement of Brewer High School teacher Garen Evans could not be contained as he received a check in support of his “Project Lead the Way” program from Leah King of Chesapeake Energy on May 16. Pumping his arm into the air and exclaiming, “Wow!” the dedicated instructor accepted the surprise gift with a combination of sincere appreciation and excitement. “Project Lead the Way” is a four-year sequence of courses which introduces high school students to the scope, rigor and discipline of engineering technology.

Greenwood Rural Volunteer Fire Department does much more than battle blazes in Parker County. As first responders, they handle a wide assortment of calls to keep the residents in their district safe. Yet, because they are a volunteer organization, they do not always have the budget to purchase some of the tools their dynamic jobs require. Chesapeake Energy recently stepped up to the plate and donated significant funds to aid the department in purchasing needed items which will keep the community safe.

Beaming with pride, residents of Fort Worth’s Greenway neighborhood were among the more than 100 people assembled Saturday, May 17, to celebrate the completion of the 19th trailhead of the Trinity Trails. Serenaded by the smooth tones of a jazz ensemble under blue skies, neighbors from up and down the Trinity Trails gathered to mark the dedication of the new open-air structure, complete with bench, water fountain, and nearby landscaping. Funded in part by Chesapeake Energy, the Delga Park Trailhead provides an important link from the Greenway neighborhood to the 40-plus miles of trails and greenspaces along the Trinity River.

In a race to save $100,000 worth of Live Oak Trees along Fort Worth’s highways, Chesapeake Energy today (Aug. 7) rolled out a tanker truck carrying 165,000 gallons of water to help keep the trees alive. With no good rains in sight, the trees that adorn the interchange of Interstates 30 and 35 would have likely died by the end of the day, if not for Chesapeake’s assistance, said Melinda Adams, city forester for the City of Fort Worth.

Although the occasional weekend golfer rarely thinks about the centuries of tradition and principles that are involved in guiding that little white ball around an 18-hole course, several core values are a part of every single game that is played. It is the exciting task ahead for The First Tee of Fort Worth to instill those values into the hearts of a new generation of young golfers, and Chesapeake Energy is proud to be a significant partner in this endeavor.

With a North Texas economy that appears to be bucking the national downward trend, it’s hard to imagine that local children are going hungry. But at the Tarrant Area Food Bank, that situation is all too real, particularly during the summer months when children who are accustomed to receiving free or reduced-price school meals are going without.

Thanks to the Chesapeake Scholarship Fund, Diana Serrano will be the first person in her family to attend college, and Latodria Hartford will fulfill her college dream of studying pharmacology. And as significant and life-changing that may be for these two young women, it’s not the whole story.

Petite girls in glittery dance costumes and little boys in Little Dragon martial arts uniforms strolled through Fort Worth’s Trinity Park on May 3 with big grins and eyes shining with excitement. Mayfest 2008 was definitely a family affair, with parents pushing small children in strollers under towering shade trees and seniors exploring the multiple artist and merchant booths positioned throughout the 33-acre site. The annual, community-wide celebration, held May 1-4, brought with it a year of firsts, as Chesapeake Energy became the outdoor festival’s first-ever presenting sponsor, and record-setting crowds turned out in droves during a weekend of spectacular weather.

Chesapeake Energy believes in the importance of being both a good neighbor and a responsible corporate citizen. The bounty that we are experiencing because of the Barnett Shale is a gift to the entire community and not just a select few who own minerals. Because of a true concern for our neighbors who live and work and play in the areas where we are actively doing business, Chesapeake is dedicated to giving back to the community in a variety of ways, improving the quality of life for all in the areas of community development, environment, health, education and social services.

The City of Burleson took time to celebrate Arbor Day in April. The Burleson Parks and Recreation department and the Neighborhood Services department organized the event. Chesapeake Energy donated funds to the Keep Burleson Beautiful program in order to help purchase saplings and crepe myrtles that were given to residents for planting in their yards and communities. The donation is in recognition of furthering Chesapeake's clean air and energy initiatives.

Chesapeake Energy presented the Welcome Home Foundation Award to The Greater Fort Worth Area Civic Leaders Association for mental health services for soldiers returning from overseas duty. A barbeque lunch was served to all, and the history-making Tuskeegee Airmen were also in attendance, along with families, friends and local dignitaries. The event was held at the Joint Reserve Base in west Fort Worth.

Chesapeake Energy donated a 2005 Chevrolet SUV truck from its corporate fleet to the Johnson County Drug Task Force. This much-needed vehicle will provide the task force the ability to transport an officer and his or her police dog to investigations, as well as support local community education programs. The task force is a vital part of the police work that is conducted in Johnson County and has proven to be very effective in the fight against illegal drugs. By reaching out to school-aged children and educating them about the dangers of using drugs, police officers are proactively working to prevent any future drug use in the community.