EDITOR’S LETTER

NOVEMBER 2015

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is

happiness doubled by wonder.” G.K. Chesterton The Sunday after Halloween, as I was eating leftover candy and putting away

my sculls and ravens for more acceptable general “fall” decor, I heard it: a

Christmas commercial. In fact, it was for Hallmark’s 55 Days of Christmas.

This, coupled with the fact that Christmas decorations are already on sale

everywhere I go, goes to show that Thanksgiving is quickly losing ground as

an American institution, and I won’t sit idly by and watch it happen.

Each year, people claim there’s a “war on Christmas,” but this year, I want us to fight the

war on Thanksgiving.

While the true origins of Thanksgiving may not be widely known, the thought behind it

is indeed sincere. President Abraham Lincoln declared a “national Day of Thanksgiving

and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” This was when it was

declared a federal and public holiday. However, earlier Americans were celebrating long

before that.

In 1777, while the Continental Congress was meeting in a temporary location in York,

Penn., due to the British occupation of our then-national capital at Philadelphia, a note

of thanks was issued. Samuel Adams (the person, not the beer) drafted the First National

Proclamation of Thanksgiving. Congress later adapted the final version, which, in part,

read

“…That it may please Him graciously to afford his Blessing on the Governments of

these States respectively, and prosper the public Council of the whole: To inspire our

Commanders, both by Land and Sea, and all under them, with that Wisdom and

Fortitude which may render them fit Instruments, under the Providence of Almighty

God, to secure for these United States, the greatest of all human Blessings, Independence

and Peace…”

Our first Thanksgiving wasn’t meant to imitate a festive coming together of the pilgrims

and Native Americans; it was to call upon a greater power while we were at war, trying

desperately to establish ourselves as an independent nation. If there is a holiday worth

celebrating in America, Thanksgiving is worth it. So, hold off on your Christmas trees

and carols and let the turkey have his time.

I hope you’ll join my War For Thanksgiving by expressing gratitude toward family, friends,

and others who have helped you this year. I’ll go first: while we will continue giving

thanks for all of our readers, community friends

and people who are able to keep our magazines

running, we’re also expressing sincere gratitude

for allowing us, artists, writers, photographers

& designers, to practice our crafts and remain

independent. Without you, we simply wouldn’t

have a job. So, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Best,

Meg McElhaney

Editor-in-Chief

Lighting Up Norman

Nothing gets us in the holiday spirit

like a good old lighting display, and in

Norman, nothing is quite as fantastic

as the Downs Family Light Ministry.

Since 2008 the Downs family has been

a leader in giving back to the community with this

drive through event that boasts two seventy foot tall

radio towered mega trees, ten mini trees and twenty

foot long arches all synchronized to the season’s most

cheerful playlist that has featured holiday hits from

Go Fish, Trans Siberian Orchestra, the cast of “Glee”

and Relient K. What makes this a doubly great event is

that through private donations, the Downs family has

provided 911,695 meals, to the Regional Food Bank of

Oklahoma, which serves 53 counties statewide. So tune

your radio to 107.1 and cruise on down to Norman

for some spectacular holiday cheer, and don’t forget to

bring a can or two for a fellow Oklahoman in need.

Written by Carmen Coffee

From Brazil to Oklahoma

From Brazil to Oklahoma, Sandro Sampaio’s

martial arts journey spans countries and

continents. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro,

Sampaio, now head instructor and owner of

Carlson Gracie Training Center in Moore,

Oklahoma, began his martial arts career at the age of

13, training with the legendary Carlson Gracie team in

Copacabana. After earning his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-

Jitsu, Sampaio moved to Spain to teach Jiu-Jitsu to military

and police personnel and later moved to New Zealand for a

professional MMA fight.

With experience as an international instructor under his

belt, Sampaio moved to Moore, where he opened Carlson

Gracie Training Center, affiliated with the Carlson Gracie

team that helped him begin his Jiu-Jitsu career. Experienced

in MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and submission tournaments,

Sampaio offers specialized instruction for self-defense,

grappling, MMA, and personal and conditional training.

Sampaio uses his specialties to help educate and train

the Moore and Oklahoma City metro communities,

including members of the Moore and Oklahoma City Police

Departments. The center is also the only gym allowed to

teach Jiu-Jitsu at Tinker Air Force Base.

Carlson Gracie Training Center offers classes for children

and adults, as well as self-defense, anti-bullying, and Muay

Thai kickboxing classes. The center also offers seminars and

private lessons to learn self-defense and Jiu-Jitsu techniques

in a more personal setting. If you’re interested in Brazilian

Jiu-Jitsu, you can try one week of the center’s Brazilian Jiu-

Jitsu Academy for free. For more information about Carlson

Gracie Training

Center, call

(405) 409-3607

or visit www.

bjjokc.com.

Written by Sarah

Neese

Christmas in

Cleveland County The Christmas Store of Cleveland County,

a project within the Cleveland County

community, is now accepting donations and

volunteer applications for the 2015 holiday

season. The project aims to provide a better

Christmas for low-income families

by offering the opportunity to buy

gifts and food through the store.

Action, Inc. began the program in

1970, and the store operates solely

with the help of volunteers and

donations.

Currently, the store is looking

for new or unused donations of

children’s toys, non-perishable

groceries, household goods and products and cash

donations to help with the purchase of additional gifts. The

Christmas Store of Cleveland County will be accepting

donations Nov. 17-20, Nov. 30, Dec. 1-3 and Dec. 5.

Donation hours run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on each of these

days. Donations can be delivered to the store at 641 E.

Robinson, Norman, OK.

To sign up to volunteer, you can visit

http://christmas-store.org/volunteer.

Volunteers for the store must be age 16

or older. All financial donations can be

mailed to The Christmas Store at PO Box

256, Norman, OK 73070. For additional

information about the Christmas Store

of Cleveland County, email the store at

ClevelandCountyChristmasStore@gmail.

com or visit http://christmas-store.org.

Written by Sarah Neese

A group of hundreds of Norman residents

have been working for decades to

help those in need, providing family

activities and serving the community.

If you enjoy May Day, if you have heard

about Operation School Bell, or you know a young

adult involved in the Asistanteens, you’ve heard about

Norman Assistance League.

“Some kids really need a hug, and some kids really

need a book,” Jody Duvall, Norman Assistance Leauge

member, said. “That’s why they get a teddy bear and a

book when they come to shop with us.”

About three times a week, Norman and Little Axe

school districts send 14 students who, for one reason

or another, qualify for assistance. They get to “shop”

from the Norman Assistance League’s collection of new

clothes, and they’re sent home with 3 pairs of jeans,

five shirts, seven pairs of underwear, seven socks, a

coat and a grooming kit that contains toiletry items,

and of course, a book and a bear of their choosing.

Each child is paired with a personal shopper to assist

them in finding the right sizes and picking things

out they like. Everything that the Assistance League

provides is new clothing, however people do donate

gently used clothes that the children are allowed to

pick from after they have their new items. They can

take as many of the gently used items as they wish.

The clothes are purchased with funds raised

throughout the year along with grants from the City of

Norman and other organizations. Bears and books are

sometimes donated or are also purchased with funds

from grants or fund raisers.

“Each of our adult shoppers has an iPad, with all the

schools in here and they select boy or girl and it lets us

keep track of how many kids go through,” Susan Raley,

President of the Norman Assistance Leauge, said.

The Assistance League stocks sizes from 4 to 24W for

girls and comparable sizes for boys. Kids are also sent

home with a grooming kit. For many children, it is the

only time they receive a new toothbrush of their own.

“We have to carry a huge volume just because of our

sizes we have to carry,” said Duvall

The Norman community is extremely generous, as the

NAL is funded largely from grants they receive and

other private donations from folks who just want to help

out.

This year, older kids going through the program got to go

to Khol’s, which has been supportive of Operation School

Bell. The teens were paired with a personal shopper at

Khol’s to help them get the most bang for their buck. For

many students, this would be the first time they got to

shop for new clothes.

Operation School Bell has been a staple of the National

Assistance League, which is about 80-years-old. Norman’s

has been around since 1974. Nation-wide they’ve helped

clothe around 300,000 students.

In order to complete this amazing fete, they have to

fundraise, and fundraise they do. With many events

year-round, many are focused on fundraising except for

May Day, the annual art fair that happens each May and

Sunday with Santa.

“That’s something our Assisteens plan and execute all by

themselves, with members making sure that everything

is being taken care of,” Laura Cooper, NAL member said.

“We’re pretty hands off and these young men and women

really take charge and make it their own.”

Some upcoming events include the Holiday Home tour

happening on December 4th & 5th and Sunday with

Santa, which will happen on December 6th. The Norman

Assistance League is open to men and women who are

philanthropic and interested in giving back directly to their

community. Assisteens is open to teenagers in Norman,

you can learn more about joining, participating and

events at thier website www.assistanceleaugeofnorman.

org

Written by Meg McElhaney

Photographed by Jonathan Burkhart

Compounded Medications

The benefits of compounded medications are

numerous and for many patients unknown.

This article will highlight some of the reasons

compounded medications are beneficial and

necessary for many of our patients.

Pharmaceutical companies often discontinue medications

because the medication is not being used by enough of

the population. This does not mean that the medication

is bad or harmful. It is just a matter of money for the

manufacturer. Compounding pharmacies have the ability

to make these medications for patients that need them.

A growing concern for many people are sensitivities

or allergies to ingredients like gluten and lactose.

Compounding can provide these patients with an allergen

free alternative to traditionally prescribed medications.

Creating medications that are lactose, preservative,

dye, gluten, and sugar free is a common practice for

compounding pharmacies. This allows us to give our

patients the medical benefit of the medication without the

harmful affects of the potential allergen.

Prescriptions are often for standard commercial doses

of medications, but what if you need a dose that is not

commercially available? Compounding pharmacies can

make these in-between doses. This allows the patient to

continue therapy at doses tailored to their specific needs.

Many patients also need their medications in a different

form. For example a patient may not be able to take a

tablet because of age, surgery or difficulty swallowing.

Compounding pharmacies can make these medications

in a form that the patient can tolerate well like oral liquids,

or creams or gels for the skin.

Additionally, numerous medications that are given by

mouth are absorbed well through the skin. Medications

that are compounded for topical use are absorbed through

the skin and then enter the blood stream. This type of

delivery system is beneficial because your body bypasses

certain metabolism pathway and can reduce certain side

effects of oral medications

Compounding pharmacies can also make medications for

pets. This allows the pet lover to give their family member

a medication that has a flavor that is more in line with

what your pet normally eats. For example compounding

pharmacies can make medication that tastes like bacon,

liver, fish and beef. These are just a few of the flavoring

options for your pet. This makes it much easier for you to

give your pet the medication that they need.

Compounding pharmacies can be especially beneficial

for dermatology patients. Compounding pharmacies can

custom make medications for eczema, warts, psoriasis,

acne, fever blisters, nail fungus, alopecia, psoriasis, skin

pigmentation and anti-aging formulations.

We are not a one-size fits all society. A comprehensive

approach to healthcare is vital to achieving the goals of the

patient, physician and pharmacist.

Lance Thompson is a pharmacist at Brookhaven

Pharmacy in Norman. His passion for OU sports

is only rivaled by his desire to provide practical

solutions for a healthy lifestyle.

Sooners

helping

Sooners

FOR SOME, PLAYING FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF

OKLAHOMA IS EVERYTHING. FOR OTHERS, IT’S

NOT ENOUGH TO ENSURE A BRIGHT & SUCCESSFUL

FUTURE. SOONERS HELPING SOONERS IS WORKING

TO CHANGE THAT.

“They opened up numerous doors

for me that would’ve never opened

without Sooners Helping Sooners,

and it just continues to grow.”

-Bubba Moses

Of the 1,093,234 high school football players

that gleam under the Friday night lights,

only 6.5 percent will play in college. Of the

college stars that we cheer on at bowl games,

bedlam, and national championship victories

approximately 1.6 percent of those young men will make it

to the ultimate level – the NFL. Lets say you are from the

University of Oklahoma (OU) and have made it to being a

professional football player. You’re living a dream, achieved

by very few, and in a career that spans an average of three

– five years, if you are lucky. Taxes, agent fees, and the

procurement of eye popping luxury items will all be tied

to that “big contract” and when the pro career is over, then

what?

That’s where Sooners Helping Sooners, Inc. comes in. Founded

by University of Oklahoma icon J.D. “Jakie” Sandefer III,

this nonprofit stands with the mission to positively impact

the lives of former University of Oklahoma student-athletes

and their families by providing opportunities for personal

development, education and rewarding career paths. The

organization was formalized in 2014 and is currently

headed by the winning combination of Sooner legends Jerry

Pettibone and Jay O’Neal. Despite its strong football ties,

Sooners Helping Sooners, Inc is committed to assisting all

former student athletes, and is inclusive of all sports and

genders.

Two-time National Championship winner, and former

University of Oklahoma coach, Jay O’Neal, at one point in

time also headed the summer job program for OU student

athletes. During that time students were able to garner

summer internships and gain real world experience in their

chosen field of study. Given today’s fierce competition this

is no longer a viable option. Student athletes spend the

majority of their summers away from their families in intense

University sponsored summer workouts. So regardless if an

individual athlete elects to go pro or finishes their 4-year

degree program, their resumes read the same – no corporate

experience.

“They’re walk ons to the job market”, O’Neal said, “raw talent”.

This is a place that may be familiar to many athletes on the

field or court, however, after earning a college degree, this in

no way can be anyone’s desired endgame. Sooners Helping

Sooners, Inc assists these former college student athletes by

transforming what they have learned from playing sports:

hard work, applying oneself, and work ethic, into success in

the job world. By no means is this process a mere handout.

Former student athletes compete, like all new graduates,

for entry level jobs, but instead of having a resume full of

internships, industry experience and references, they have

Sooners Helping Sooners, Inc. as their advocates.

“In the beginning we called up our own resources,” recalls

Jay O’Neal. Many times if they had an outstanding candidate,

they would call upon a friend, and ask “businesses to give

people a try”. Now this was never a guarantee of a job, just an

opportunity to be seen, and given a chance – former athletes

still had to prove themselves in the interview.

From these humble beginnings, our state has benefited

greatly. Sooners Helping Sooners Inc has introduced the oil

and gas, service corporations, pharmaceuticals sales, truck

driving, insurance, banking, and other industries within our

state to an often overlooked, vastly capable group of young

people eager to get into the work force. For Jay O’Neal it’s

more than just helping someone get a job. “Many of them

have families they need to provide for and we help them do

that” explains O’Neal. For this passionate group, it’s about

building a legacy for student athletes at Oklahoma’s largest

university. Former OU tight end, Bubba Moses is part of that

legacy.

Moses was part of OU’s conference championship teams

from 2002 TO 2006 and participated in four Bowl Games

(Rose, Sugar, Orange and Holiday). In 2006 he graduated

from OU with a degree in criminal justice and returned

to his hometown of Houston, TX to work in a juvenile

detention center. “Playing at the University of Oklahoma,

everybody puts you on a pedestal and doesn’t prepare you for

the next [step]”, explains Moses. He also reflects back on his

college years and adds, “Personally, I didn’t take advantage of

the resources that the University of Oklahoma had to offer

because playing football [at OU] is the top thing on your list,

ya know.” For Bubba, a superior athlete that never made it to

the NFL, the reality check came quick. He rationalizes, “As

the years go on, while you’re in school, when you don’t see it

playing out how you want it to play out, then it’s like you’re

stuck in the mud. Then you say, ‘What will I do?’” A few years

ago, Moses met Jakie and his luck began to change. “They put

you in a position to succeed, to be successful” he continues

“They opened up numerous doors for me that would’ve

never opened without Sooners Helping Sooners, and it just

continues to grow.” Today, Moses and his family reside in

Fresno, TX, where he works in oil and gas, due in large part

to his experience with Sooners Helping Sooners, Inc. “They

are a wonderful organization. They are part of my family, and

my wife loves them and I do too as well,” concludes Moses.

For those in need of job placement services, an application

for Sooners Helping Sooners, Inc, is a simple click away,

when you access soonershelpingsooners.com. In addition to

employment, Sooners Helping Sooners, Inc points former

pros in need of financial planners, in the right direction.

Career center sessions are also offered to aid job seekers to

build on their speaking abilities and professional personal

appearance. This model for identifying and preparing young

people to achieve personal aspirations and career goals is

brought to fruition through an ever-growing number of

partnerships, in a diverse myriad of job fields. This particular

vision for empowering former college student athletes is

made possible by the support of businesses and individual

contributions, nationwide as well as one very special

fundraiser – the Barry Switzer Classic.

Held at the Belmar Golf Club, the Barry Switzer Classic

boasts 18 holes of Oklahoma’s best golf in celebration of

Coach Switzer’s birthday and in support of Sooners Helping

Sooners, Inc. Entrants can register as individuals or on the

higher end of the sponsorship spectrum. For a few hundred

ultimate OU fans, this is an event provides up close and

personal access to OU supporters like Oklahoma’s own

Toby Keith and former Sooner players and coaches. The

all day affair features awards, dinner, and an auction with

this bottom line – the majority of all proceeds go to benefit

future former college student athletes involved with Sooners

Helping Sooners.

Sooners Helping Sooners, Inc. is constantly looking to grow

their network and welcomes support from individuals and

area businesses. For more information on Sooners Helping

Sooners, Inc. you can visit their website, get connected on

their app, or simply keep it interactive on social media. In

this season of thanks, I’m sure we all are grateful for at least

one chance someone gave us to better ourselves, in life, and

nothing feels better than giving back.

Written by Carmen Coffee

Photos by Jim Roberson

It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times, it’s holiday baking. We know the struggles of holiday cooking, and we’re here

to help you out! Whatever your holiday traditions are—conventional or unconventional—we have the perfect options

to make your holiday eating more enjoyable and less of a hassle. - Kennedy McAlister

Arbuckle Mountain Original Fried Pies (3721 N.W. 50th St., OKC)

The famous I-35 Davis, OK stop brings their fried goodies to Oklahoma City. It’s perfect

for the family who likes untraditional holiday desserts—you can order a variety of their

fried pies for your family dinner. Their special holiday pies include raisin, apple raisin

pecan, pumpkin and sweet potato.

Pie Junkie (1711 NW 16th St., OKC)

Featured in Buzzfeed.com’s article, “24 of the Most Delicious Pies in America”, Pie Junkie’s

Drunken Turtle pie reigns supreme. Order their Pumpkin Crumble with a maple bourbon

whip and sweet potato pies, and be on the lookout for their Orange Bourbon Pecan pie! They

consider themselves to be a Gluten-friendly bakery, and they can make truly gluten free pies

with 48 hours notice for customers with celiac disease.

That Pie Place (Food Truck)

A new food truck in the OKC Metro area, That Pie Place not only provides delicious

pies; it creates a fun outing for your family! Follow them on Twitter or Instagram (@

ThatPiePlaceOK) to find where they are from day to day, or visit their website (thatpieplaceok.

com) to find out how you can order whole pies.

Sherri’s Pies (704 SW 59th St., OKC)

Perfect for the hostess who has lots of food to make,

Sherri’s pink-lit interior matches the fun-loving, homey

style of their pies. Order in advance one of their

special holiday pies: pumpkin and caramel apple pecan.

Kitchen No. 324 (Downtown OKC)

Kitchen 324’s savory Chicken Pot Pie features all the holiday

goodness with a twist—a fried chicken leg in the middle

of it! Their dessert pies are freshly made in-house every

morning: coconut crème, pecan, and this fall you can enjoy

a pumpkin pie. Perfect for the family who goes out to eat for

the holidays.

Blue

Christmas

GRIEF & THE HOLIDAYS I am far from an expert in this realm. In fact,

everything I am about to share I can almost

guarantee was advice I picked up along the way,

as the journey through the grief process does

not exactly come naturally. I can say that getting

through the holidays without your loved ones is…

tough, to say the least. From being too far away on the

map to see them, to losing them to the inevitable, not

having the option to share this season with the ones

you love can be dang near unbearable. For me, this will

be the first holiday season without my mother. Only

time will tell how well I can actually brave the next

couple of months. However, I do have a pretty good

idea of what it will take to keep myself healthy and do

a little more than just go through the motions.

As this season continues to slowly creep up, I cannot

help but almost obsess over the fact that I will not

wake up on Christmas morning to a stocking filled

by “Santa” and seeing the satisfaction she got out of

spoiling me with awesome trinkets. I literally woke up

every single Christmas morning to date to her smile.

It is pretty wild that this tradition not only lost all of

its joy, but it has ended completely. An article I read

from my mother’s hospice team mentioned that there

is always a possibility to start a new tradition, a new

normal. My first thought was that they are crazy for

saying that I can simply replace this tradition with a

new one and be content with it. However, the more I

think about it, the more it makes sense. And the more

I get excited about what it is exactly that I am going to

do in her memory that she will absolutely love and be

proud of. The possibilities are endless.

My boss mentioned in passing that a good way to spin

a situation like this into something constructive and

fulfilling is to do something for someone else. It really

got me thinking… I need to do what she would want

me to do with my time. She would absolutely hate for

me to feel sorry for myself

and hide out for a couple of

months (which in all honesty,

seems ideal). Instead, I

am determined to funnel

my energy and emotions into

something that positively impacts

someone else, in turn, positively

impacting myself.

It will be awesome reaping the benefits of helping

others. However, it is definitely just as important

to help my own self… mentally, physically, and

emotionally. It is okay to feel bad, but it is also okay to

feel good, which is something that I have to give myself

constant reminders about. I have found that talking

about her and sharing the memories of our traditions

with those people in my life that love her like I do is

definitely one thing that makes me feel good. Another

thing that has kept me going this whole time, is

knowing that I am not alone. Everyone is fighting their

own battle. It is up to you to figure out how you will

conquer yours.

Erika Raschke is Director of ATI (all things important) at

High Five Media Group and is a living example that positivity

and vulnerability, along with time, can heal people.

What does it mean to be a runner?

People run for fun, for exercise or for

therapy. People gear up at ungodly

morning hours just to go outside and

pound pavement. People run with their pets, they run with

their iPods, they run with their ever-moving thoughts and

they do so systematically or occasionally or erratically.

A History of Greatness

The OK Runner in Norman knows the myriad reasons

people run. They understand the different types of runners

and the different types of gear each of those runners require.

Opened in 1995 the Norman location of OK Runner has not

only survived for 20 years of business, but they have thrived.

A family-owned business, the original owners of the store

tracked their ancestors’ business back to the 1900s. Such

deep roots was one reason the owners decided to plant their

first store in the heart of Cleveland County.

“We chose running because we knew something about

it and we loved the people who we ran with,” said Gus

Thompson, Partner of OK Runner. “We wanted to figure

out a way to serve them.”

OK Runner expanded its reach in 2006, opening a location

in Edmond in the Spring Creek Village. The mission of OK

Runner is simple: “Give all guests a friendly experience

and provide them with excellent customer service, products

and expert knowledge they need.” It is that mission that

has guided the successful business and the reason it is

celebrating its 20 year anniversary this year.

A Different Kind of Shoe Store

Indeed, local runners remain loyal to a brand in the same

way a runner remains loyal to his or her reliable running

trail. OK Runner has remained successful despite the push

for online shopping. Alive before the almighty internet,

OK Runner has carved out a niche that has been able to

weather the online shopping storm so many other shoe

stores have fallen victim to. Thompson believes it’s the

customer service that produces such loyalty. Another

edge the business has is its hands-on approach to helping

customers. OK Runner provides foot assessments, personal

analyses and evaluations as well as coaching, injury advice,

clinics, running camps and training programs for its clients,

allowing it a crucial edge over the Amazons of the world.

All of OK Runner’s attributes can’t simply be added to an

online shopping bag—they’re tangible and impactful. OK

Runner also participates in too many yearly, local events to

count, showing its support to the community and people in

it.

“I think there are three reasons the Norman and Edmond

communities have responded so positively to us,” said

Thompson. “First, we’re a locally owned company. We’re not

a national chain. I think a lot of people like doing business

with a small, locally owned-business, especially a familyowned

business. Another reason is we are part of the local

community. We serve with our churches, with our local

government and the Edmond and Norman communities.

Finally, we participate in events. Whenever there’s a local

event like local races, walks or charity events, OK Runner is

there.”

A Stellar Support System

With 20 years of experience comes many ups and downs;

however, it’s the people that keep the employees of the

running shop coming back day after day. A simple scroll

through OK Runner’s website and social media accounts

reveals that the employees value their customers above

everything else. Photos of young, happy, sweaty runners,

elite athletes and middle aged running groups pepper

the pages. The support is tangible. It is this attitude of

acceptance, no matter the skill level or running ability,

that seems to set the OK Runner apart from other cultlike

establishments. Thompson noted OK Runner’s

demographic is diverse and inclusive and one of the reasons

the store has been so successful. Support and an established

support system are two more positive attributes that OK

Runner has. Thompson attributed much of the business’

success to his family’s constant support and involvement

in the business. He also noted the things OK Runner’s

customers appreciate most about the established business.

“Our customer’s appreciate the face-to-face interaction

with our staff. They know they can get more than just a

pair of shoes when they come in. They like to talk about

their training program, their injury history and what’s new

in the market. They respect our opinions, advice, and our

knowledge of the products.”

The employees also make OK Runner unique. It is evident

that they are more like family than coworkers. Their

favorite running moments range from succeeding in their

college-level cross country meets to running in mountain

trails with their pups to becoming NCAA D1 All-American

to Turkey Trottin’ it up with their dads on Thanksgiving

morning. The wide range of interests allows each employee

to reach people in different ways. Those trying to break

their last marathon record are just as welcome as those

looking forward to completing their first ever 5K. In fact,

Thompson mentioned that the majority of OK Runner’s

customers are average, three-times-a-week runners. He

said the belief that all the customers are elite, marathon

runners, is inaccurate. Thompson said the elite runners

make up the smallest percentage of clients, with the second

largest being those individuals who rarely exercised and

were looking for supportive shoes for their everyday life.

The welcoming environment of OK Runner makes even the

most novice runner (or television enthusiast) feel welcomed

and encouraged.

Whether you’ve hit the trails in Edmond or Norman,

OK Runner has been there for local runners. The

business’ anniversary celebration serves as a reminder

of its contributions to the community and its important

placement in both Edmond and Norman. Through its many

outreach programs, running support systems and quality

products, it’s assured that the business will be here for many

more runs to come.

Written by Katy Fabrie

Photographed by Jonathan Burkhart

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season often

leads to an overload of consumerism and stress.

It seems you can’t turn around without the urge

to buy this and purchase that. Though it’s all well

and good to buy fun gifts for your loved ones, the

meaning behind the holiday season sometimes gets pushed

aside with the Black Friday and Cyber Monday madness.

Giving Tuesday (#GivingTuesday), Dec. 1, 2015, is wholly dedicated

to taking time to think of others who truly need help.

The program is a global day centering around giving generously

to those who need it the most. The local Edmond, Oklahoma

City & Choctaw and Harrah communities are getting involved,

too. All it takes is a quick search on givingtuesday.org to locate

a charity that’s participating. A few nonprofits taking part are

HOPE Center of Edmond, Orphan Relief Effort Inc., Regional

Food Bank of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy

and the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools. So

on Giving Tuesday, take the time to give back to your local community—

you’ll be happy you did.

Written by Katy Fabrie

Gratefulness comes in all breeds and sizes.

Giving thanks for those

around you is important

during the holiday season,

and what better way to show

your gratitude for man’s best

friend than to adopt a pet?

Hundreds of animals are

waiting to be adopted in

shelters across the city. Nothing

captures the spirit of the

holidays like giving the gift of

a furever friend. You can find

and adopt your furever friend

at the following shelters in

the Oklahoma City and Norman

areas:

Central Oklahoma

Humane Society:

(405) 286-1229

www.okhumane.org

Norman Animal

Welfare Center:

(405) 292-9736