Michelle Betty is a grandparent in Oklahoma City raising her grandson on her own. Every penny of discretionary income that she has goes to supporting her family – so much that she hasn’t had a pair of tennis shoes in seven years and she only had a couple of pairs of daily clothing essentials.
On Monday, the Thunder, Target and Sunbeam Family Services were able to change all of that. As a part of the Thunder’s Holiday Assist Program, the organization put together its eighth annual Target shopping spree where Thunder players helped treat children pick out whatever they wanted for Christmas, while Thunder Girls, Rumble and Thunder staff helped the grandparents pick out all of the essentials they need during this holiday season.
“It was a miracle and a blessing. I didn’t know how I was going to do Christmas,” Betty said. “I’m surprised and I’m so happy. I’m just stunned.”
The families were selected from the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program, and both the young and the young at heart had an incredible time on Monday night. The kids had a chance to goof off with the players and hunt for new bicycles, athletic gear and electronics. Meanwhile, grandparents had a chance to shop for themselves for a change, not just for household items but as a reward for stepping up and raising their grandchildren with love and care.
“It’s great for both sides,” Russell Westbrook said. “The grandparents get to see their grandchildren happy, excited and having fun about what they’re doing.”
“It was just an overwhelming response, not just going on the spree, but seeing the players and getting to walk with them and talk with them, it was a double blessing,” said Jim Priest, the CEO of Sunbeam Family Services.
At this annual event, many of the Thunder players take it upon themselves to spend money out of pocket for the children and grandparents when they get up to the register if they go over the amount provided on the gift card. Some, like Steve Novak did on Monday, go even further.
An hour after the rest of the team had checked out at the register with their families, Novak and his wife were just finishing up with their family. The Novak’s gave $3,500 of their own money to the family to ensure that they not only were able to have an incredible holiday season, but also that they were able to stock up on the big and small things that they desperately needed. This was Novak’s first time participating in this event since he joined the organization last spring, and he was blown away by the impact he and his teammates were able to make.
“This is a nice way for us to partner up with a few families and make sure they have an awesome Christmas and a year to remember,” Novak said. “They’ll have great presents, great memories and a good time. The Thunder and everybody involved has put a lot into this as well.”
“To see that the whole team was here and everybody was involved, it does show that we as a team and as a group, we get that,” Novak continued. “We have a special group that touched so many lives today.”