News

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) raffled a Rascal Flatts signed guitar in early May to continue support for Jaelee Munson and her family. Connie Davis won the guitar, donated and signed by the hit country music group Rascal Flatts, and donated it back to Munson. Throughout the year, NEO has been raising funds for Munson, a six-year-old from Quapaw, who is fighting cancer. NEO has raised over $5,000 for Munson and her family so far. Munson’s parents Kevin and Cassie Munson were both NEO students, with Cassie playing on the NEO Softball Team and Kevin playing on the Golden Norse Football Team. Family and friends have created #TeamJealee to drive fundraising efforts and keep the community updated on Munson’s condition.

Rascal Flatts, who skyrocketed to fame after their debut single “Prayin’ for Daylight” and reached an even broader audience with their cover of Tom Cochrane’s “Life is a Highway” for the Pixar film “Cars,” have strong ties to the northeast Oklahoma community. Joe Don Rooney, the group’s guitarist, is from Picher, Okla. When they heard about the effort to raise funds for the Munson family, the band used their connections with NEO to donate a signed guitar to raise funds. “We are very grateful to Rascal Flatts for generously donating this signed guitar to help raise funds for Jaelee.

NEO Athletics is proud to be a part of #TeamJaelee and our thoughts are always with this courageous little girl. Both of Jaelee’s parents are former Norsemen with Kevin playing football and Cassie playing softball, so they are a part of our NEO family. We stand by the phrase: Once a Norseman Always a Norseman!” said Dale Patterson, NEO athletic director. For more information on #TeamJaelee, or to donate through the NEO Athletic Department, contact Lisa Severe at lsevere@neo.edu. (Photo from left: Chad Davis, Cassie Munson, Kevin Munson, Donna Hale, Clay Patterson. Jaelee Munson holds guitar in front.)