Former NonDoc intern Trinity Cohee shows Tres Savage what she thought of his editing during NonDoc's summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
[dropcap]G[/dropcap]oing into our summer fundraising party last Friday night, it was hard to know what to expect. Would people come out in the blazing heat? Would everyone remember how to socialize after the pandemic? Had we bought enough taco fixings, or too many?
The answers to those questions ended up being: Yes, absolutely, and way too many.
The gathering was in many ways a repeat of a party we threw in 2017: same venue, same improved dance floor, some of the same donors and supporters. But it also highlighted the tremendous growth NonDoc has seen in the past few years.
Since then, we’ve become a nonprofit, moved into our beloved news dungeon office space and brought on a bunch of new employees (including yours truly).
Friday was a night to celebrate everything that’s changed and everything that’s stayed the same, and it was a time to look to the future.
It was also a time for NonDoc supporters to work through their pent-up pandemic aggression by buying tickets for a raffle to smash a pie into the faces of our staff members. Longtime cartoonist Mike Allen drew the raffle tickets, and there were some fortuitous match-ups, with our editor in chief, Tres Savage, getting pied by former NonDoc intern Trinity Cohee. Our education reporter, Megan Prather, felt the wrath of Oklahoma State Board of Education member Jennifer Monies.
Ollie, the resident Labrador retriever, won the biggest prize of the night when he got to clean up the whipped cream afterward. No word yet on whether our generous hosts, Daniel Miley and Marlie McDonald, had as much fun cleaning up after Ollie the next day.
All in all, the evening was a great kickoff to our summer drive to raise $10,000. We’re so grateful to everyone who made it out and to everyone who donated. We rely on your contributions to keep the lights on and to keep bringing you independent community journalism.
If you couldn’t make it on Friday, you can stoke or soothe your FOMO with the photos of the evening below, taken by NonDoc board member and resident photographer Michael Duncan.
And remember that our fundraising drive is still going, and you can make a donation today to help us wrap up our summer effort early!
Swipe to view pie party photos
From left to right: Donors hit Megan Prather, Andrea DenHoed, Tres Savage and Angela Jones in the face with pies as part of NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
A member of NonDoc’s fundraising committee, Marlie McDonald co-hosted NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
As fundraising committee member and party co-host Daniel Miley films, former NonDoc intern Trinity Cohee prepares to pie her former editor during NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
People converse during NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
People converse during NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
Supported by NonDoc cartoonist Mike Allen, Tres Savage discusses how far the publication has come over the last four years during NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
Tres Savage thanks everyone who donated to support independent journalism during NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
Former NonDoc intern Trinity Cohee won the chance to hit Tres Savage with a pie during NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
Former NonDoc intern Trinity Cohee shows Tres Savage what she thought of his editing during NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
As Tres Savage, left, and Andrea DenHoed, right, wait for Megan Prather to receive similar treatment, public relations professional and State Board of Education member Jennifer Monies prepares to throw a pie during NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
Megan Prather ponders her destiny during NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
Megan Prather reacts after taking a pie to the face at NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
Former NonDoc content contributor Jeff Packham won the chance to hit Andrea DenHoed with a pie during NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
Andrea DenHoed reacts after taking a pie to the face at NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
Sustainable Journalism Foundation board member Jim Quillen prepares to take center stage during NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
Sustainable Journalism Foundation board member Jim Quillen hits Angela Jones with a pie during NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
Sustainable Journalism Foundation board member Jim Quillen tells operations manager Angela Jones, “This is for all the QuickBooks tutorials!” during NonDoc’s summer fundraiser Friday, June 18, 2021. (Michael Duncan)
Andrea DenHoed is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and was formerly the web copy chief at The New Yorker magazine. She became NonDoc's managing editor in March 2020 and transitioned to a part-time role as features editor at the end of 2022. She departed NonDoc in 2023 to pursue an educational opportunity.
