Sunbeam Family Services and the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) recently appointed eight-year-old Justin Evers as Oklahoma’s first Kid Governor.
Justin, a second grader at John Rex Charter Elementary School, was one of 19 children ages 7-11 who submitted videos for the “Vote 4 Kids” campaign led by Sunbeam and OICA. Kid Governor’s term begins April 2016 and will end in November at the 2016 Oklahoma Kids Count Conference.
During Justin’s term, he will address issues affecting the well-being of Oklahoma’s children such as foster care, childhood poverty, early childhood education and mental health.
Justin says he wants Oklahomans to pay attention to issues that affect the state’s children, specifically foster care. His parents, Lindel and Shannon Evers, are foster parents and the video he submitted to be considered as a candidate addressed the need for more families to join the effort.
“I think it’s great that I’ll have a chance to be the first Kid Governor of Oklahoma,” Justin said. “I want kids to know what’s happening in our state.”
Justin’s first public appearance will be at Sunbeam’s Shine a Light fundraising gala on April 7 at the Chevy Bricktown Events Center at 6:30 p.m. Learn more at www.shinealightokc.org.
