*Includes 16 hospitalizations in pediatric beds.
**Focus, Rehabilitation and Tribal Facilities numbers are not assigned to a specific region as their patient populations reside across the state. Information provided through survey of Oklahoma hospitals as reported to HHS as of the time of this report. Response rate affects data. Facilities may update previously reported information as necessary.
Data Source: Acute Disease Service, Oklahoma State Department of Health. *As of 2021-11-29 at 7:00 a.m.

An Oklahoma Man Shares His Heart Transplant Journey

With a renewed lease on life, this Thanksgiving will be extra special to Jack Chappell, 57. After showing signs of heart failure nearly a decade ago, this father of two began the fight of his life.
In 2012, Chappell fell ill with persistent symptoms. “I felt like I had a cold I couldn’t get rid of,” he says. “I coughed a lot. I couldn’t get rid of it. I just felt lousy. I also felt like I was putting on weight.” In 2013, after a business trip and at the urging of his wife, he was diagnosed with heart failure due to a severely weakened heart muscle by his primary care physician and was connected to cardiologists at INTEGRIS Health.
2015 was a difficult year for the Chappell family, and Jack especially, as his father tragically succumbed to terminal heart failure at the age of 82. Within a short time after his father’s passing, Jack’s heart failure also worsened to the point where his life was in imminent danger. He was admitted to INTEGRIS Health under the care of Douglas Horstmanshof, M.D., co-director of INTEGRIS Advanced Cardiac Care (IACC), and underwent placement of a life-saving HeartMate 2 Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD). Chappell recovered quickly and was able to leave the hospital just over two weeks after LVAD surgery. He rapidly returned to work and an active life, supported by his LVAD. After the need for a LVAD replacement in 2019, the IACC team recommended pursuing a heart transplant, and in 2020, Chappell was placed on the transplant list to begin the search for a new heart.
“Jack is an individual who exemplified the value of being at the only hospital in Oklahoma that has access to all options to treat his worsening heart failure – in this case a LVAD that allowed him to work, care for his family and live successfully for years with a good quality of life,” states Horstmanshof.
Jack’s journey to a new heart was prolonged after contracting COVID-19 in November 2020. Despite a successful recovery from COVID under the care of the IACC team, his health declined again in early 2021, and he was admitted to the hospital for ongoing care while awaiting his new heart. He would spend four long months in the hospital waiting for his heart transplant. “That’s a long time to be in the hospital for sure,” he admits. “But I got used to the routine of being there. I’d wake up, eat breakfast, do my labs, and work remotely from my hospital bed. I was able to stay busy.”
In July 2021 he received the life changing news that he was getting a new heart. Chappell says he was in shock and then broke down in tears. “I honestly don’t remember going to surgery. I just remember waking up in the ICU with a brand new heart and a second chance at life.”
“After getting his new heart, every member of the INTEGRIS Health staff that was involved in his care celebrated with Jack and his immediate family,” Horstmanshof remembers. “Our whole team remains so proud of him for his dedication and grace throughout his journey and looks forward to many more years of knowing and caring for him as his INTEGRIS Health Family!”
Chappell recently joined other LVAD patients and completed the 5K in the Oklahoma City Marathon. He routinely stays in touch with the LVAD team and speaks to other heart transplant and LVAD patients as an advocate for the program.
A group of people posing for a photo Description automatically generatedJack enjoyed a fulfilling and active life with his LVAD, but is looking forward to rediscovering swimming or being in water without concern for his device. Now, after his transplant, he is getting back to traveling, going to football games, all while knowing he has more time to spend with his family. However, there will always be a special place in his new heart for the hospital he called ‘home’ for so long.
“We’ve got the best heart team right here in Oklahoma City. I don’t know why anyone would go anywhere else.”

Friends of the Capitol was honored to host their annual Statehood Day art contest with nine OKCPS 4th grade classes. Ridgeview, Adelaide Lee, Hawthorne, Coolidge, Shidler, Hillcrest, Britton, Cleveland, and Martin Luther King Elementary Schools all competed for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. The theme was “My Oklahoma,” which all the students painted their interpretation of what Oklahoma meant to them. Their works of art was showcased at the Oklahoma State Capitol, on Statehood Day. All their families, friends, and teachers came out to support them and had some refreshments and celebrated Oklahoma’s Birthday!
There were protests going on at the Capitol that week and this brought some light to the Capitol and to Oklahoma. Seeing the 4th graders dressed up showing off their art to everyone was priceless!
“Friends of the Capitol” loves being a part of celebrating Statehood Day by bringing in kids and educating them about our Capitol and our great State. It is a great way to get Oklahomans involved”-Amy Dillon, Executive Director. Friends of the Capitol is a tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) corporation that is devoted to providing private funds to maintain and improve the beauty of the Oklahoma State Capitol building and complex and its works of art. It is the only tax-exempt corporation designated to receive private funds for this purpose. For More Information: Amy Dillon, 405-843-2443 or [email protected] or visit www.friendsofthecapitol.com.

Strings take center stage in Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble’s third concert, “Symphonic Strings,” 7:30 pm on January 11 at First Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. The concert will present Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Cello, which marked a turning point in his career, Gerald Finzi’s powerfully expressive Interlude for Oboe and String Quartet and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s only sextet, his “Souvenir de Florence,” which has been described as a symphony for six strings.
The concert takes place at the First Baptist Church, 1201 N. Robinson Ave., Oklahoma City. Season passes, available on the website, are $125 for the five regular-season concerts and all concerts of the summer festival. Single admission tickets are $20 at the door. Admission is free for students and active-duty military with ID.
Maurice Ravel composed his four-movement Sonata for Violin and Cello between 1920 and 1922 and dedicated it to the memory of Claude Debussy, who had died in 1918. Described as “lean” and “linear,” the sonata stood in sharp contrast to the lush harmonies and textures of his earlier works and was, Ravel wrote, “stripped to the bone; harmonic charm is renounced, and there is an increasing return of emphasis on melody.” The sonata would, as the composer predicted, mark a turning point: after Debussy’s death, Ravel was widely considered the leading French composer of the era.
British composer Gerald Finzi’s personal and introspective Interlude for Oboe and String Quartet was written between 1932 and 1936 and, along with his clarinet concerto, is one of his best-known instrumental compositions. The one-movement work was subsequently arranged for oboe and string orchestra and for oboe and piano. Despite its brevity, the Interlude is a big, passionate piece with wide-ranging moods and may have originally been intended as part of a concerto.
Tchaikovsky’s four-movement sextet, “Souvenir de Florence,” is a romantic symphony in microcosm. The work is so titled because one of the principal themes was sketched while the Russian composer was visiting Florence, Italy, but it is distinctly Russian. The composer wrote to a friend, “I am, in essence, composing for the orchestra, and only then arranging it for six string instruments,” a task he described as “unimaginably difficult.” The result is a small-ensemble work with the grandeur of a symphony and the grace of his ever-popular “Serenade for Strings.”
The Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble is Oklahoma City’s foremost presenter of classical chamber music. For more information, visit us at www.brightmusic.org and follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BrightmusicOK.

Blood clots are a major concern for people facing various health situations, including surgery, hospitalization and cancer. While current medications lower the risk of clots, they increase the chance of bleeding complications, to an extent that some people cannot take them. However, a new option may be on the horizon — a research study published today in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine shows promise for a new oral medication that is effective for preventing clots without increasing bleeding.
Gary Raskob, Ph.D., Dean of the Hudson College of Public Health at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, is senior author of the publication and chair of the steering committee for the study. The study tested the drug Milvexian in patients undergoing knee replacement surgery, who have a high risk of developing clots in the deep veins of their legs. More than 1,200 patients undergoing surgery at 118 health centers in 18 countries participated in the trial. Results showed that a daily dose of 100 milligrams or more of Milvexian was more effective for preventing clots than the current standard of treatment and, importantly, it had a low risk of bleeding.
“We are encouraged by these initial results with this new oral anticoagulant that works differently from existing medications,” Raskob said. “We may finally be able to realize the longstanding goal of separating the benefit of anticoagulant medication for preventing clots from its side effect of increasing bleeding complications.”
There is an enormous need for drugs to prevent clots — two of the top 10 drugs sold across the world are anti-clotting medications, Raskob said. Blood clots can cause serious illness and disability. As the underlying cause of most heart attacks and strokes, and of clots in the legs that move to the lungs, they are responsible for about 1 in 4 deaths worldwide. Blood clots in the lungs, known as pulmonary embolism, are fatal for about 100,000 people each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Because so many people require the medications to reduce the risk of clots, researchers are devoting significant time and resources to developing new therapies that are effective and improve patient safety.
Researchers chose the drug Milvexian to study because of the way it reacts with a protein in the blood called Factor XI. People who have a genetic deficiency of Factor XI (a condition known as hemophilia C) have a lower chance of developing clots later in life, and they don’t have spontaneous bleeding complications compared to people with other types of hemophilia. This suggested to researchers that if Factor XI could be reduced in at-risk patients, clots could be prevented without bleeding complications. Milvexian works by binding to Factor XI and inhibiting it, which reduces the risk of clot development.
Most of Raskob’s research career has been devoted to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of blood clots, formally called deep-vein thrombosis, as well as pulmonary embolism, a blockage that occurs when part of a clot breaks off and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs. In July, he was an author for another publication in the New England Journal of Medicine about abelacimab, a monoclonal antibody injected under the skin, which also targets Factor XI for the prevention of clots.

This holiday season, Leslie Shaw, 66, is looking forward to time with family. It’s time the Oklahoma City man wasn’t always sure he would have when he was hit by a life-threatening stroke.
A massive stroke nearly claimed Shaw’s life, leaving him hospitalized, unable to walk or talk. His doctors warned family members to prepare for a funeral.
“I decided I wasn’t ready to get busy dying, so I’m going to get busy living,” Shaw said.
Shaw says he was in the hospital when he discovered Valir Pace, a program that could provide him with all-inclusive care.
“We’re able to identify a patient, evaluate and give them whatever amount of therapy they need. There’s not an insurance company saying, ‘OK, you qualify for this many visits and then done.’ We just go until the goal is achieved,” said Ashley Henson, a nurse practitioner with Valir Pace.
Shaw’s stroke happened just a few weeks before his 60th birthday. His godson noticed something was wrong.
“He said, ‘Godfather, your face is looking funny.’ I said, ‘Looking funny?’” Shaw said.
The young man told him his face was drooping. Not long after that conversation, Shaw collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. Doctors told him his only hope to recover was to start therapy as soon as possible.
“There’s a window of time after a stroke, we call it neuroplasticity, where the brain is just ready and ripe to rehabilitate,” Henson explained.
Henson said Shaw’s experience is an important wake up call for all families with older loved ones, adding the holidays are a good time for families to check on their loved ones. Those wellness checks should include making sure they are taking their medications properly and following their doctors’ directions, especially if they have high blood pressure or diabetes which both increase the risk of stroke.
Henson said it’s also a good time for families to familiarize themselves with the signs of stroke. The acronym F.A.S.T. can help families know what to look for, when it comes to stroke.
The “F” stands for facial asymmetry — that’s the “drooping” on one side of the face that Shaw’s godson noticed.
“Have them smile. If part of their mouth is not pointing upwards, that’s a sign,” Henson said.
The “A” stands for arm weakness. The “S” for speech issues, such as slurring their words or struggling with speech. And, the “T” is for time, meaning you need to get help quickly.
Shaw did get to the hospital quickly. He also began therapy shortly after his stroke, and with the help of his therapists, he regained the ability to walk – first with a walker, then a quad cane and eventually walking on his own, even completing a 5K walk with some of his Valir Pace team at his side. He continues to work each week to maintain his strength and mobility.
Shaw credits hard work, God’s grace, and his team at Valir Pace for his ability to continue to live independently and says he is ready to enjoy life with those he loves this holiday season.
To learn more about Valir Pace and whether you or a loved one qualifies, visit ValirPace.org

The vision research program at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Dean McGee Eye Institute recently received a five-year, $2.9 million grant renewal from the National Eye Institute. Called a P30 Vision Core grant, it supports the work of researchers in 21 laboratories with advanced equipment, sophisticated software, and other innovations to drive research that ultimately will improve the quality of life for patients seeking care for their vision.
Vision research is among the most highly funded areas of investigation at the OU Health Sciences Center. The current grant was originally awarded in 2011 and included several “cores” of specialized equipment available to vision researchers across the campus and at the neighboring Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF). The grant renewal expands those cores, giving researchers additional tools to more quickly translate their findings into treatments.
“The amount of this grant renewal is based on the fact that most of our individual researchers hold R01 grants from the National Eye Institute, which is considered the gold standard in vision research funding,” said Michelle Callegan, Ph.D., Director of Vision Research at Dean McGee Eye Institute and Professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology and Microbiology and Immunology in the OU College of Medicine. “Because our vision researchers have been so successful in attracting federal grant funding, we were able to renew this P30 grant, which not only advances their efforts, but helps us to recruit new vision researchers and trainees interested in vision science.”
The grant will also fund the creation of a new core in Ocular Immunobiology, providing researchers advanced methods of analyzing the immunological underpinnings of eye disease. “There is an immune-related slant to every model of eye disease,” Callegan said, “so the development of this core is really important to us.” The Ocular Immunobiology Core will be led by Darren Lee, Ph.D., whose own research focuses on autoimmune uveitis, an inflammation of the eye that is the third-leading cause of blindness in the United States.
Other cores include a Model Imaging Core that allows researchers to analyze visual function and other physiological parameters of eye disease models. The core also includes an emphasis on genotyping to ensure the genetic consistency of research models. It is led by Raju Rajala, Ph.D., whose research focuses on neurodegenerative diseases of the retina. The Cellular Imaging Core provides sophisticated equipment that allows researchers to visualize physiological processes at the cellular and subcellular levels. That core is directed by Michael Elliott, Ph.D., whose research focuses on cellular membranes and how they control cellular signaling in vision.
“The technology in these cores is very expensive. One individual researcher could not afford the equipment that we have,” said Callegan, who leads the overall administration of the grant. “Not only do many different researchers use the equipment, but the cores also facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration between researchers from ophthalmology, physiology, pathology, microbiology and other areas across campus, as well as OMRF.”
Since the original P30 grant was awarded in 2011, vision research has significantly increased at the OU Health Sciences Center and Dean McGee Eye Institute. Nearly 30 research laboratories across the OU Health Sciences Center and at OMRF are focusing on eye diseases, and multidisciplinary collaborations between vision and non-vision research laboratories have flourished. Several new vision researchers have been recruited, launched their own laboratories and gained their own independent funding.
“Many exciting things have occurred because of this P30 grant,” Callegan said. “This funding has provided resources that our investigators otherwise would not have access to, and it has advanced research toward our ultimate goal, which is improving and restoring vision.”
Research reported in this press release is supported by the National Eye Institute, a component of the National Institutes of Health, under the award number 2P30EY021725-11.

They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but that’s exactly what employees from St. Ann’s Skilled Nursing and Therapy handed out Wednesday afternoon.
Bags filled with sandwiches and chips were put together to help the homeless in Oklahoma City.
“Our staff has really bought into this once-a-month event where we get to come out, we get to serve others,” said Mary Peacock-Smith, St. Ann’s administrator.
Each month, for the last few months, a group of employees from St. Ann’s have assembled meals and then taken them downtown. They set up just north of the Embark bus station in Oklahoma City and hand out the lunches to anyone who asks for one.
On this month’s visit, they brought 350 sandwiches, lunch sacks and bottles of water out to fill a void for some of those in need, but there is a greater purpose behind the lunch sacks both for staff members at St. Ann’s and for the homeless.
“Being in lockdown and going through that traumatic event together, we needed something to bring us together and bring us a sense of community,” said Peacock-Smith. “I think by serving others we really help ourselves in a positive way.” The lunch giveaway event is part of a partnership St Ann’s has forged with the local non-profit Oklahoma Citizen Advocates for Recovery and Transformation Association (OCARTA).
“They decided hey we want to help and so they’ve been doing the food and the water and helping support our mission, and we certainly support theirs,” said Donna Woods with OCARTA.
OCARTA offers free services to those in need of recovery or mental health services. This monthly lunch event helps bring awareness to the homeless community about the services that are available. And it is making a difference.

Story and photo by Darl Devault, Contributing Editor

You know when an Oklahoman has massively advocated for the greater good when they become nationally known for earning the camaraderie and trust between active duty and former United States military service members.
The hallmark for Edmond, Okla. resident Major Edward Pulido’s, U.S. Army (Ret.) advocacy for his fellow veterans is known throughout the veteran services movement simply as Major Ed.
When the National Veterans Foundation lists its first podcast it simply states: Major Ed was our first guest to be interviewed on the American Heroes Network Radio 1/15/2013 on our first program.
Major Ed’s challenging work and determination to serve other veterans since his devastating injuries cut short his career while serving with the Coalition Military Assistance Training Teams under the command of General David Petraeus has promoted him into something rarer than rank, a brand in the veterans services movement.
Not consciously trying to build his brand bigger, he is simply displaying integrity by sharing his thoughts, feelings, words and actions to bring attention to the plight of America’s defenders after they have served.
Approached for an interview with the attention afforded the upcoming Veterans Day November 11 he changed the emphasis of this story from himself in a selfless gesture. He is advocating Oklahoman veterans attend the November 15-16 Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs 2021 Governor’s Symposium for Veterans Services in Norman.
The event featuring Gov. Kevin Stitt and his wife Sarah speaking in separate plenary sessions the first day runs 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days at the Norman Armed Forces Reserve Center, 4000 Thunderbird St.
Topics are Suicide Prevention, Lethal Means Safety, Women Veterans, Native Veterans, Crisis Care and Management, Best Practices, Employment, Education, and more.
There will be special sessions on Veteran Agriculture as a means for Employment and Mental Health, and the release of OKVALOR (Oklahoma’s Veterans Assistance Locator).
Question, Persuade, Refer and Talk Saves Lives training will be available to those interested in suicide prevention training. Info at Governor’s Symposium (oklahoma.gov)
“Major Ed has stated in his work with the John Daly – Major Ed Heart of a Lion Foundation ‘At the end of the day it’s all about empowering and supporting those that fight for our freedom,’” said Lisa Mussett, U.S. Air Force veteran and Women Veterans Program Director with the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs who has worked alongside Pulido for many years. “Major Ed’s statement about empowering and supporting our veterans is a key mission of the upcoming symposium. We strive to highlight many partners across the state, those providing services to veterans and their families.”
Mussett will offer a breakout session at the symposium, to discuss a special project for Women Veterans called the HerStory Project. “The project includes photographing women veterans to accompany the State Veteran Registry,” Mussett said. She extends a personal invitation to the 30,669 women veterans in Oklahoma to attend the Symposium, to learn more about the HerStory Project and the annual Women Veterans Recognition Day Program. Women vets can email her directly at [email protected]
Deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Pulido was fighting in a war where wounds had increased in severity as a result of a change in enemy tactics. The insurgency war had intensified with increased sophistication and use of improvised explosive devices (IED).
On August 17th, 2004, after 19 years with the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserve, the 36 -year-old Hispanic officer’s life was changed forever. He was severely wounded by one of those IEDs or roadside bomb in Baqubah, Iraq, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, earning the Purple Heart medal.
“I will never forget on that day I did not just lose my leg. On that day, I sacrificed my leg for my country and for everyone in this nation to be free,” Pulido said.
After that fateful day he faced multiple challenges, which, included miscommunication on his whereabouts, 17 operations, numerous hospital stays and rehabilitative sessions. Along with the loss of his left leg to amputation he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. He also faced what he says was one of the toughest battles of all—whether to stay in his beloved military or become a medically discharged veteran.
He says his decision to leave the military was based in part on a compelling desire to reach out to other wounded veterans and their families who were seeking help for their injuries and post-war obstacles.
He went on to devote his life to veterans’ services issues as the founder and CEO of the John Daly – Major Ed Heart of a Lion Foundation. He works with 2-time PGA Major Championship winner John Daly to provide mental, physical, and wellness support to our nation’s children, first responders, and America’s veterans. “Together, we will never leave our nation’s children, our first responders and Americas Veterans and their families behind on the field of battle, so help us God,” Pulido said.
He now sees his mission as advocating for and serving other wounded veterans with their ongoing needs while raising awareness about their sacrifices made to keep our nation whole.
“I was given a second chance to do something bigger than myself,” Pulido said recently. “Before August 17, 2004, I wasn’t educated about how important it was to have a purpose or a passion. But God tested me that day, gave me hope and another chance to do something really worthwhile.
Our veterans know what we can accomplish on the world stage, but they also want opportunities–to work, be productive and not be patronized or relegated to the notion they have returned home as damaged goods. Through my personal story, I want to help them reach their goals so when they encounter their own set of challenges, they can also experience their own triumph and positive change.”
He is the former Sr. VP, co-founding member of the Ambassador for Folds of Honor Foundation and co-founder of Warriors for Freedom Foundation.
He worked with Marie Bartlett to self-publish his story “Warrior for Freedom: Challenge, Triumph and Change.” The book details the extreme lows and highs of helping the American people understand the visible and not so visible costs of war. The book is his attempt to help the public and the corporate community understand how they can help our nation’s heroes and their families.
Warrior for Freedom is now available on Amazon and on his web site www.majored.org.

A portion of the proceeds from each book sale goes to veteran charities he supports and represents: John Daly-Major Ed Heart of a Lion Foundation www.jdme.org and Warriors for Freedom: www.warriorsforfreedom.org.

Story by Darl Devault, Contributing Editor

The Santa Market Craft Show November 19-20 at State Fair Park has evolved the last dozen years into Oklahoma City’s premiere free two-day showcase for Christmas themed creations, benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association of Oklahoma.
As one of Oklahoma’s largest free nonprofit arts and craft shows, the 12th annual festive shopping experience will fill the Pavilion and Centennial Buildings with more than 180 carefully chosen creative vendors. It features free admission, free parking, a silent auction and more from 9 to 4 Friday and Saturday.
Visitors are encouraged to bring their children to get their free photos taken with Santa Claus at Oklahoma City’s most prestigious Christmas market each year.
Shoppers are treated to a variety of home decor, homemade arts and crafts, boutique and holiday items, jewelry, children’s clothes, and food goodies. Free shopping bags sponsored by local businesses will be given to the first 1,000 visitors.
Joan Clarke, along with Molly and Megan Nye began the event in 2010 after Joan’s husband died of Alzheimer’s in 2007. It has been a labor of love attracting many volunteers to help showcase the wares of the many high-quality vendors, who see it as an opportunity to support a local charity addressing one of America’s most difficult diseases.
“Molly and I had been selling items at craft shows for years and we decided to start our own event. We booked a small room in a hotel and started out with 17 vendors,” Clark said. “By the time our third year began, we realized how much work putting on a quality show involves, so we decided to make it a fundraiser. Molly immediately suggested Alzheimer’s since I lost my husband to the terrible disease.”
“Our excellent vendors are what make this show what it is each year. We are one big family, everyone helps promote the show, advertise, and find new merchants. They donate to our cause, both monetarily and with their products, even though it’s totally voluntary,” Clark said. “They help with set up, clean up and everything in between. We have 3 vendors that have been with us all 12 years. Countless more that have been with us 5, 8, even 10 years. One vendor named it ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ and it truly is.”
Even while spreading out over two buildings now, the organizers limit the number of crafters assigned space. Clarke says It is not about turning away new vendors, it is about only allowing a limited number of each type of vendor. They wish they could take everyone, but having a variety makes for a much better shopping experience and the merchants have a much better chance of success.
The event is now at the point where longtime merchants who display clamor to be back each year. This means the shoppers have high quality choices because the theme of the show is providing the highest quality Christmas theme material for their customers.
Clarke says some of the merchants see the event as an opportunity to make sure one of their favorite charities receive as much as possible from their craft world and from them personally.
Vendors write personal checks to the Alzheimer’s Association when the Santa Market rolls around, Clarke said. They also donate some of their hand-painted ornaments, clothing, pet items, artwork, wood working, signs, candles and more to the Alzheimer’s auction and Alzheimer’s booth at the event.
The 12th year means the Santa Market folks also supported the annual Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s which occurred October 23 in downtown OKC. The Santa Market fielded a team for the walk, captained by Janie Biggs, with 11 members this year who raised $8,512 by the day of the walk.
Taking place many different dates and locations, it is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. The Walk in OKC was one of the top 30 in the nation in 2020.
“We are so grateful to the Clarke and Nye families who have used their creativity and passion to end Alzheimer’s to create such an amazing craft event,” said Jessica N. Hogner, OKC Alzheimer’s Walk Manager. “The Santa Market is not only responsible for raising more than $177,000 these last 11 years, but also helping spread awareness about Alzheimer’s Disease and the free services the Alzheimer’s Association provides.” Contact Joan at [email protected] .