It was almost exactly two years after Zip, my son, was diagnosed with FOP. FOP is a condition that turns muscles, joints, and tendons to bone. I needed to see the good in the world. My little boy would have struggles ahead, but the people that surrounded my family were good. To top that off, I was born and raised right here in Claremore. After our first ZipperQ fundraiser in 2012, which was held in the cold and rain, I was humbled by the hundreds of people who showed up to support Zip. And it wasn’t just because he was my boy, or because he’s part of the Melton family…it’s because this is Claremore, and this is what we do.
Shortly after, my brother, Robert, came up with the concept to talk and tell everyone about the good of Claremore. I was immediately on board. It’s not hard to find the good things, we just wanted to shout them from the mountain tops for all to hear. For years, there have been grumblings about the negatives of our town, now we were ready to turn that around and spread positivity instead.
MoreClaremore launched four years ago today. We have evolved as a company and as a movement in Claremore. Rampant positivity. Be great. Be helpful.
What started as my brother and I working together late at night after our day jobs has evolved into a 4-person team that works together daily to share the good word of Claremore.
Today we will celebrate with our weekly meeting, West Bend Green, and quite possibly cupcakes.
Many thanks to the community of Claremore and your support of our team. We look forward to serving you for many years to come.
And to Ashley and Travis, Thank You for being our kids! We make a darn good family!
-AG