By Nick Gallo | Broadcast Reporter and Digital Editor | okcthunder.com
Thunder Trio Spreads Holiday Cheer
A young child named Randy Bauer, with a Transformer already in hand, was positively beaming as he walked around Skyline’s Holiday Pop-Up Shop in southeast Oklahoma City, shouting excitedly about each toy he saw. Helping him along his quest for Christmas gifts was Thunder guard Lu Dort, who listened to every word of the narration and helped Bauer snag a free baseball bat, a Star Wars toy and the Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar book.
“I love the Thunder team,” said Bauer. “This is awesome.”
On Tuesday, the Thunder took over Skyline’s gift giving operation and Dort, Eugene Omoruyi and Isaiah Joe dropped in to shop with the families, many of whom wouldn’t have had the chance to get anything for Christmas without that opportunity. Dort, who grew up in the hardscrabble neighborhood of Montreal-Nord and knows what it’s like to go without, had an appreciation for the feeling children like Bauer felt as they shopped without concern for price.
“I know myself, I would have been so happy,” said Dort. “There’s so many options and it would have been hard for me to pick because there's so much stuff.”
Skyline, which sits just across the Oklahoma River from Paycom Center, serves a wide swath of families and seniors in Oklahoma City as primarily a food resource center where patrons can visit every 30 days to shop for 10 days’ worth of groceries. In addition, Skyline provides free eye care exams for uninsured patrons and low-cost glasses while also operating a clothing shop for people who have had a family emergency. Those patrons can receive 10 items, including essentials like socks and underwear. Each year, Skyline also hosts a Holiday Pop-Up Shop to bless people with Christmas gifts that they otherwise couldn’t afford.
“We serve the Oklahomans that are living in the shadows of our prosperous downtown – our residents and citizens that need a little bit of extra help,” said Katy Leffel, who serves as the Director of Skyline. “To have the Thunder show up and help, it just brightens their day it makes them see that people care about them. I think oftentimes our patrons feel overlooked, and that they're kind of slipping through the cracks in society and are having a tough time making it through.”
“We are meeting people's basic needs in a way that just is really touching,” said Leffel. “You can see the hope on people's faces when they come in. They're tired. They're hungry. They leave and they're taking a deep breath. They know they can make it to the next paycheck.”
One of those clients, an elderly woman named Ginger Miozza, was there to shop for her grandkids that range in age from 16 to 6 months. Bundled up in a worn-in black leather coat, Miozza walked around with Omoruyi as she selected some gifts for her grandchildren, focusing on the non-electronic toys that stimulate the imagination.
“I usually work, but my boss died from COVID. I’m here for my grandkids because I couldn’t afford to give them anything this year,” said Miozza. “It means a lot because there’s a lot of families who can’t afford things. This gives them a way to be able to give to the kids.”
“God bless them for it,” Miozza added, noting how the frigid temperatures this December make it even more difficult for elderly folks like herself to get around. “The older we get it seems like the harder it is.”
While Dort and Bauer bopped around and marveled, Omoruyi gently guided Miozza from table to table. Joe seemed to be everywhere at once, shopping with a variety of families as they looked at everything from children’s books to toys to electronics. Joe made suggestions and laughed with the kids and adults alike, bringing smiles to their faces that may have been few and far between lately.
“We want our clients to feel kindness when they come into our building and to be always treated with respect and dignity,” said Leffel. “The Thunder brings that to the table.”
“Doing these community event shows how much we love the people,” Joe said. “We want to share our love and have a good time with them, because at the end of the day basketball is fun but it wouldn’t be as fun without them, without their support.”
Most days, Skyline is a resource center for those everyday basic needs like food and clothing, but on Tuesday the Thunder helped fill a human need that goes as deep as those physical ones: community and connection. For two years during the pandemic those types of genuine interactions weren’t possible, but this year’s Holiday Assist, the 15th consecutive the Thunder has held, has been the most robust and impactful in team history.
“There's a real need here and we know that the holidays can be challenging,” said Thunder Director of Community Engagement Erin Oldfield. “To help these families maximize their dollars when they're looking at whether they're paying their bills or able to buy some presents for Christmas, we can kind of fill that gap for them this holiday season.”
Bauer, toys bundled in a bag and his family alongside him, was ready to head home. He surveyed the scene and took one last look at the gifts all around him and the Thunder players waiting cheerily for the next family to walk in. Before he left, Bauer wanted to say one more thing.
“It’s really nice being here and actually meeting up with them,” said Bauer. “It’s my dream.”
