Call in the Marines!

I’m still trying to catch my breath. Last week the number of people who have signed up for Christmas assistance climbed to 8,896. But as the numbers ramped up, so did the Tulsa community. Thursday, our longtime supporters, KTUL-Tulsa’s Channel 8 and Bank of Oklahoma, kicked off a toy drive to provide gifts for the forgotten angels – the kids and seniors people don’t adopt from the Angel Trees.




An hour later, we kicked off the Red Kettle Campaign at the Reasor’s on 15th and Lewis. We had wanted to honor veterans at our kick off and Jason Wolfe, a combat-decorated Army vet who counsels homeless veterans at the Center of Hope helped us out. I had lined up a retired Marine who still had his dress uniform to “guard” the Giant Red Kettle, but he had a last-minute conflict. But, just before the kick off began, TWO young Marines in their dress uniforms turned up!  Steve Lehto of Reasor’s gave us a check for $5,000. 


At 5:30 a.m. the next day, Jim Carey and Natalie Cash of K95 FM’s Cash & Carey Morning Show started “Occupy Krispy Kreme” and adopted out 400 angels. Their original goal had been 200 angels but by 9:30 a.m. they ran out of angels. We were happy to bring them 200 more and they found homes for all of them!

On Saturday, we held the Angel Tree Opening Ceremony at Tulsa’s Promenade and Woodland Hills mall, which KOTV-Channel 6 has sponsored longer than anyone can remember. Rich Lenz and LeAnne Taylor selected their angels from the trees and the Brass Band played. Thank you, Tulsa – 10,048 people are going to have a Christmas because of you!


-Sallie