Getting ready for the fair

We still have over a month until scarves are due for the fair. 

So, if like me you haven’t started yet, there’s still time! I finally started one and you can too 🙂

Check out our previous post about how to register. (There’s no charge to enter and you’ll get at least one ribbon)

Fair Information

Have you been thinking about joining us at the Oklahoma State Fair but just aren’t sure yet? We thought a bit of info may be helpful as you’re deciding…

  1. Registration has begun! It’s free and available online until 5pm on August 15th.
  2. Items need to be dropped off at the fair Saturday September 9th or Sunday the 10th from 9am-4pm. (so you still have over 2 months to make your scarf!)
  3. If you’d like us to drop off your scarves, we’ll be glad to take them for you! Just be sure to register on time and print out your registration receipt, we’ll need that when we drop it off.
  4. Since your scarves will be donated to us you don’t need to pick it back up, but you can pick up your ribbon Monday 9/25 from 2-7 pm or Tuesday 9/26 from 10am-2pm. If you’d like us to pick up your ribbon, we can do that, just be sure to get your receipt to us before pick up time.

Let’s Go to the Fair Again!

Last year went so well that we’re excited to be included again this year in the Oklahoma State Fair’s creative arts competition!

You get to enter the fair and make a donation to Threads of Compassion OKC at the same time! There are even ribbons for the top 10 in each category.

There’s no cost to you to enter, and we’ll even deliver the scarf for you if you’d like.

The registration is all online this year. It’s quick and easy to do. The division for Threads of Compassion is 3578.

Sharing softness at a hard time

We are so excited to be partnering with LuLa Roe Kari Littlejohn this month! In honor of sexual assault awareness month, this business is working to provide leggings to victims of sexual assault.

The way it works is that you can purchase a pair of leggings and then donate a pair as well. There’s a $10 discount on the 2nd pair that will be donated, so for $40 you can have a cool, comfy pair for you and provide one to be donated!

If you haven’t tried LuLa Roe leggings before, you may be surprised by how soft and comfy they are. I’ve heard so many people say “they’re like butter”. They really are the softest, most comfy item in my wardrobe.

The donated pairs will be delivered to the YWCA in order to be distributed by their staff. A selection of both sizes of leggings will be delivered in order to try to serve as many as possible.

You can shop online for your leggings, or you can contact Kari to make arrangements to shop in person in Edmond. If you don’t live close by, no problem, you can select your leggings online and take advantage of discounted shipping for this project.

To learn a bit more about LuLa Roe Kari Littlejohn and see her announcement of this project, check out her Facebook Live video from April 4th.

 

Can you join us?

In just about a month we have the opportunity to join the YWCA for their annual 2 Minute 5 K. We’ve had a team and a booth at this event for several years now and it’s always a good experience.

There are a couple of ways you can join us again this year by registering for the event:

  1. If you’re a runner or walker, sign up for the 5K.
  2. If you have a kiddo, sign them up for the Kiddie K.
  3. If you don’t want to have to join the crowd and move around, sign up for Snooze for SAAM.

There really is a place for everyone!

Here are some more details:

Location: Stars and Stripes Park
Lakeshore and N. Portland Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73112

Length of race: 5K Race / Kiddie K (1K)

Date: Saturday April 22nd, 2017

Time: Registration opens at 7:00 a.m.
Kiddie K starts at 8:00 a.m. / 5K starts at 8:30 a.m.

Registration:
Kiddie K – $15 Standard registration, $20 day of race
5K – $25 standard registration, $35 day of race
Snooze for SAAM registration – $20

Run, Walk, or Snooze with us

 

Registration has begun for the YWCA’s 2 Minute 5K!

Whether you want to walk, run, or snooze there is a way for you to join us this year.

Please join our team by registering online and help us share the word about this great event.

If you’re not in the OKC area or walking/running a 5K isn’t your thing, you can sign up to Snooze for SAAM. This lets you still be part of our team and support the event without having to get out there early in the morning.

The event will be April 22, 2017 at Stars and Stripes Park in OKC. There’s a Kiddie K at 8:00 AM and the 5K begins at 8:30 AM.

Planning for 2017

As the end of the year approaches we’re planning for 2017. We’ve selected dates for the first half of the year and hope you’ll join us as often as you can.

The dates are listed below, we’ll be meeting from 2-5 PM. More info is available on our events page.

Hope to see you at our last one of 2016 on December 4th, and then at as many as possible in 2017.

  • January 8, 2017
  •  February 5, 2017
  •  March 5, 2017
  •  April 2, 2017
  •  May 7, 2017
  •  June 4, 2017
  • July – no meeting
  • August – December dates to be determined.

Success at the State Fair

An idea shared by one volunteer turned into a great event!img_20161002_140911

One of our volunteers had participated in the Oklahoma State Fair Creative Arts Division competition last year, in addition to all the normal categories she really enjoyed giving to the charity division. In 2015 there was one charity: Infant Crisis Services, participants could donate lots of different baby items to the fair that were then given to the organization.

This Spring she asked what we thought about seeing if Threads of Compassion could be a category at the fair for people to enter. We loved the idea and were so glad to have her contact the fair officials and get the ball rolling. The people in charge were willing to add us and have 2 charity categories this year. In the end three of us worked together to get the proper information to the fair and it happened!

It was so exciting to see Threads of Compassion listed in the booklet for all to see!

We are thankful to have received 36 scarves  (11 knitted and 25 crocheted) donated by volunteers both old and new to Threads.

In addition to seeing the great quality of work we also are glad to have so many people who are new to Threads participating with us.

Each scarf was awarded a specially made blue ribbon titled “Fair Compassion”. In addition to that the top 10 in each category was awarded a ribbon corresponding to it’s place as well.

We’re looking forward to next year already!

Looking forward to getting together

It’s just a few days until our September meeting and I’m really looking forward to it!

Our monthly work days are a highlight of the month for me. Even the months I’d rather get a Sunday nap I’m always glad I went. Some of the reasons include:

  • It’s a chance to sit and crochet without seeing all the chores that I could be doing around the house 🙂
  • I get to see my “Threads friends” and catch up on their lives.
  • Many months I get to meet someone new.
  • I like seeing all the different scarves that people donate. Some of them are amazing!
  • I am reminded that as a survivor of sexual assault I’m not alone and others care about offering help and care to others like me who have gone through this horrific experience.

So, yes, some months I really wish I could just hang out at home and fall asleep on the couch for a bit. But, even those months, or especially those months, I come away from our time together glad I went and looking forward to the next one.

Hope to see you Sunday!

Let’s Go to the Fair!

We’re excited about a new opportunity coming up this Fall!

The Oklahoma State Fair Creative Arts Competition is accepting donations of scarves for Threads of Compassion OKC. The scarves will displayed at the fair and then donated to us.

There’s not a fee to participate and you get a ribbon!

Exhibitor registration is available online July 1 – August 15th.

Items can be dropped off September 10th and 11th, and if you’d like we can help get them delivered for you.

You can see the instructions in the Needlecraft Guide, along with our listing on page 13.

It may seem a little early to be sharing this info since registration isn’t open yet, but we wanted you to have plenty of time to plan your entry 🙂