WEBVTT 1 00:00:08.279 --> 00:00:10.400 Good morning, good morning, good morning, and welcome, welcome, welcome. 2 00:00:10.439 --> 00:00:14.359 It's time now for our community connection right here on K one, the 3 00:00:14.599 --> 00:00:18.559 one you trust. Tyler Vacklaw's with us here today and Tyler, it's that 4 00:00:18.760 --> 00:00:22.039 time of the year. It is it is. We're glad to be here 5 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:26.440 today. Tom, appreciate you allowing us on. We're here today to talk 6 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:30.839 about the Festival of the Nativity as we are. With the Christmas season now 7 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:37.000 officially kicked off, everybody's got their bellies full of turkey and joined the Thanksgiving 8 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:40.679 holiday, now we turn our attention to the best part of the year. 9 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:44.679 Indeed, no Play It For Burke Foundation is a big part of this. 10 00:00:45.079 --> 00:00:48.799 Yes, so for those that aren't familiar to Play for Burke Foundation is a 11 00:00:48.840 --> 00:00:56.679 local foundation created ten nine years ago, I believe unfortunately a young lad lost 12 00:00:56.719 --> 00:01:02.679 his life tragically, but his parents created a foundation is memory to help support 13 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:08.599 local children and activities, and so the Play for Birk Foundation has partnered with 14 00:01:08.879 --> 00:01:15.480 the Festival the Nativity to basically the foundation's part is to go and raise money 15 00:01:15.239 --> 00:01:19.760 and that money is to buy Christmas presents for kids in the community who otherwise 16 00:01:19.879 --> 00:01:25.719 aren't going to have a Christmas that most of us take for granted. We 17 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:32.159 work with the local school district, with counselors and teachers to identify kids that 18 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:38.120 sadly aren't going to get a Christmas this year, and unfortunately there are a 19 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:42.000 lot of them. We work with a couple of different organizations as well that 20 00:01:42.120 --> 00:01:48.519 work around youth in some areas that help us identify these kids. And then 21 00:01:48.519 --> 00:01:51.760 with that money one hundred percent of the money that we raise, we go 22 00:01:51.879 --> 00:01:56.640 out and volunteers go out and buy the presence. I have to say, 23 00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:01.319 you know, we use the word presence. We get leeds Christmas list from 24 00:02:01.400 --> 00:02:06.439 these children and it's anything but presence. I mean a lot of it is 25 00:02:06.840 --> 00:02:12.280 new socks, needs, you know, clothing and things that we go out 26 00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:20.319 and we buy frequently and in bulk. These kids are basically wanting the bare 27 00:02:20.360 --> 00:02:23.439 minimum of what we I think take for granted unfortunately, But we work with 28 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:28.919 some of the principles as well. I know mister Brown at Jane Phillips, 29 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:30.919 he actually has a program where they go out and identify a specific thing. 30 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:37.879 So we bought a number of sleeping bags or blankets and pillows and previous years 31 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:43.439 coats and such, and so this year We are actually working with Saint John's 32 00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:49.439 School on a coat drive as well, which we'll be doing Saturday at Saint 33 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:53.199 John Elementary or Saint John's School pardon me, Father John. It's not just 34 00:02:53.240 --> 00:02:58.120 an elementary school. But anyway, So the foundation, that's part of our 35 00:02:58.599 --> 00:03:05.360 focus is finding needs that children in the Bartlesville area have. The foundation also 36 00:03:05.479 --> 00:03:08.080 does a golf tournament in April, which we focus on special needs kids. 37 00:03:08.919 --> 00:03:15.159 So Kyle Poole from Tri County Tech, he leads that up and does a 38 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:17.680 phenomenal job. And I mean, here we are in December, and I 39 00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:23.560 just got an email this morning talking about some things that some special needs programs 40 00:03:23.560 --> 00:03:27.800 in our district are needing. And so we've got, you know, our 41 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:30.919 orders going out for that right now to buy them some supplies, materials, 42 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:36.280 equipment, and you know, we're spending tens of thousands of dollars a year 43 00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:40.039 unfortunately, because funds are limited in our school districts, and so it's our 44 00:03:40.120 --> 00:03:44.639 opportunity to help out. So the play for Burke Foundation is a five oh 45 00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:49.719 one C three, so donations are tax deductible, and so we go out 46 00:03:49.719 --> 00:03:53.639 there and people can go to the website which is www dot play for Burke. 47 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:58.719 That's p l A Y f O r b U r K. There 48 00:03:58.759 --> 00:04:02.599 is no e in this name of Burke, but Playfoburke dot org. So 49 00:04:02.759 --> 00:04:08.400 www dot Playfburke dot org. You can look at all the things that the 50 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:14.240 foundation does. It does talk about the Nativity and you can actually donate there 51 00:04:14.759 --> 00:04:21.439 via electronic terminals and such so, but today we have the Nativity Festival. 52 00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:28.959 That's a beautiful, beautiful setup it is. We are blessed with volunteers throughout 53 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:31.079 the community. And to give you just kind of an overview, this is 54 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:38.040 the thirteenth year we've done this. It's our seventh year at Saint John's School. 55 00:04:38.199 --> 00:04:42.720 So they seven years ago they actually converted what was a gymnasium into a 56 00:04:42.759 --> 00:04:46.800 cultural hall of sorts, a multifunctional room, which is gorgeous in and of 57 00:04:46.839 --> 00:04:51.600 itself. But Father Pratt at the time and I'm not a Catholic, but 58 00:04:51.720 --> 00:04:58.120 we work with the Catholic because they have a great facility. But our organization 59 00:04:58.439 --> 00:05:02.000 we set this room up. I just had a conversation yesterday with an individual 60 00:05:02.040 --> 00:05:06.600 trying to describe what Father Lynch Hall looks like. When we're done with it. 61 00:05:06.680 --> 00:05:12.360 We have over five hundred nativities that are donated by local and non local 62 00:05:12.439 --> 00:05:18.600 people alike, all revolving around the Nativity, and we transfer this building into 63 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:24.920 a Nativity wonderland. It's not just nativities, but it's the decorating, the 64 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:29.079 lighting, and everything that goes around it. We have a local family that 65 00:05:29.199 --> 00:05:33.680 actually takes a hallway. They have a setup that resembles what would have been 66 00:05:33.879 --> 00:05:39.439 a passageway in Bethlehem two thousand years ago. They just have a lot of 67 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:45.160 natural artifacts and decorations, so you look like you're going through a bizarre that 68 00:05:45.240 --> 00:05:51.240 there's clay pots, there's different materials and different benches, all very natural to 69 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:57.600 the time they had it set up with backgrounds. I can't paint this picture 70 00:05:57.959 --> 00:06:00.759 well enough, and that's why we're on radio. Have to go see see 71 00:06:00.759 --> 00:06:04.759 it for ourselves exactly. But so we have all this to kind of help 72 00:06:04.920 --> 00:06:09.920 draw the focus to what this is, which is the birth of Jesus Christ, 73 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:14.519 our Savior, and for the two point six billion Christians throughout the world, 74 00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:19.439 this time of the year is what we all focus on and the importance 75 00:06:19.480 --> 00:06:27.279 of his birth and function in this world. And so with that, the 76 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:33.399 Foundation, in partnership with the Saint John's School. We have our local individuals, 77 00:06:33.480 --> 00:06:39.480 some who have dozens, if not hundreds of nativities. Some of them 78 00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:46.079 have an addiction which we are happy to support. Oh cool, They're crazy 79 00:06:46.199 --> 00:06:49.360 awesome. But then we have people from different churches that are all coming in 80 00:06:49.399 --> 00:06:55.079 and they're saying, how do I participate in this? And it's very simply 81 00:06:55.319 --> 00:07:00.600 till now till Thursday evening. So tomorrow evening, if you come by Saint 82 00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:04.120 John's School with the Nativity and say I'd like to share this with the rest 83 00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:09.079 of the community, we'll take that in. We'll display it with your name 84 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:13.240 on it. We want to identify those that are participating in this, and 85 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:17.040 then we will set it out there for the community and all of northeast Oklahoma 86 00:07:17.079 --> 00:07:21.279 and southeast Kansas to come and participate in. You that easy, It's that 87 00:07:21.399 --> 00:07:27.759 easy. And so starting Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the days that we're 88 00:07:27.800 --> 00:07:31.800 open for the display. Friday, Saturday and Sunday nine am. Friday and 89 00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:35.160 Saturday, I'm sorry nine am too, I believe nine pm, and then 90 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:40.000 Sunday is nine am to five pm. We got to cut it off a 91 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:45.519 little bit earlier so we can tear down and get back to our own lives 92 00:07:45.560 --> 00:07:49.639 as it were. But we've spent this whole week getting the father Lynch Hall 93 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:58.160 decorated and prepared for everyone to come in and experience what Christmas is all about. 94 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:01.879 Wow, this is a very spectacular way to do it. And it's 95 00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:07.839 also something that when folks are kind of in the height of the Christmas frenzy, 96 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:13.480 it's a great way to just relax and enjoy taking the sites and calm 97 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:20.079 your nerves and find some other forms of peace, knowing that you know here 98 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:22.199 exactly. I mean, that's that's the whole point. But when we started 99 00:08:22.199 --> 00:08:26.959 this thirteen years ago, it was just an idea to sit there and say 100 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:31.279 we're tired of the commercialism of Christmas, you know, we want to bring 101 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:35.799 this back to what this holiday really is. And so I have to give 102 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:41.960 the biggest shouts out to Lori Alert, my wife Amanda, and the countless 103 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:48.960 other individuals that are part of this. They spend hours upon hours of time 104 00:08:48.519 --> 00:08:54.679 getting this ready, facilitating it, decorating it, unloading the boxes of materials 105 00:08:54.720 --> 00:08:58.960 to make this what it is. But the whole idea is to come in 106 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:03.120 and whether you spend five minutes or over an hour, which some will do 107 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:07.399 because, like I said, five hundred nativity sets and they represent six of 108 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:13.240 the continents in over thirty countries, all focused on the birth of Jesus Christ. 109 00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:16.320 You could get lost in this because there's so much to see and so 110 00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:20.120 much to experience. And that's what we want is people to get lost in 111 00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:26.320 the birth of Christ. And the setting is awesome and once again, thirteen 112 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:31.519 years you kind of know what's going on, and everyone who's not been there 113 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:35.360 before this is really going to be well worth your time. Carve out sometime 114 00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:39.320 where you can just relax, you know, to be in a hurry, 115 00:09:39.639 --> 00:09:41.600 to be in a rush, really just take it all in and really that's 116 00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:46.360 what it's about. That's what it is. I mean, we have cookies 117 00:09:46.440 --> 00:09:48.919 and drinks available as well to participate in it, you know, just to 118 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:54.120 kind of help bring the kids. We have a few games for especially small 119 00:09:54.200 --> 00:09:58.440 kids, because these are very delicate nativities. We have a great crew that 120 00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:03.159 kind of manages everybody as they come in to kind of give them things to 121 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:05.679 do, especially for the kids. But we want families to come in, 122 00:10:05.799 --> 00:10:09.559 we want individuals to come It doesn't whether you're a Christian or not. We 123 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:13.159 want you to come in because this is for everybody. This is not just 124 00:10:13.240 --> 00:10:16.879 for Christians. This Christ came into the world for all mankind. So our 125 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:20.440 focus is to bring this out to as many people as want to attend. 126 00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:24.360 So I do want to say, if you're not familiar with Bartlesville, this 127 00:10:24.559 --> 00:10:30.759 is Keeler and gosh, I'm gonna catch myself now Third Street, I believe 128 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:35.960 right behind the Hotel Phillips, right next to Saint John Catholic School or church 129 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:41.240 is the school. And so I'm sorry it's Johnstone, not Keeler. I 130 00:10:41.480 --> 00:10:46.360 too many streets downtown I work and play on so, but right behind the 131 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:52.840 hotel specifically you'll see it. We have the star that will be lit up 132 00:10:52.200 --> 00:10:56.480 for everybody to see. You can go to the website, like I said, 133 00:10:56.519 --> 00:11:01.519 play for Burke dot org and you can, or you can email Clint 134 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:07.879 at Playfoburke dot org and we'll get some communications out if if you're really striving 135 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:13.519 to get help to find the place. Actually you can ask anybody, and 136 00:11:13.559 --> 00:11:16.679 I'm sure anybody can point you in the right direction. I've eaten many a 137 00:11:16.679 --> 00:11:22.120 pancake at Father Lynch Hall. Yeah, but it is it is. I 138 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:24.759 mean it is really something We will also, as I said this is we're 139 00:11:24.840 --> 00:11:28.279 raising money for children in the community. How do we go about doing that 140 00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:33.600 during Nativity? So we will have an area in the in the hall set 141 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:37.960 up for the foundation. We actually raffle off some nativities as well to give 142 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:41.000 out nice So we spend the year look at we've become addicts ourselves to go 143 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:45.960 out. When we see nativities at Branson or wherever we are traveling, we 144 00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:48.440 go, oh, is this something that we may want to raffle off for 145 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:52.639 somebody else? Because people come in and they I mean they really are sitting 146 00:11:52.639 --> 00:11:54.080 there going where did you get this? How do I get one of these? 147 00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:58.200 Or the best part is oh, I've got this myself or I've got 148 00:11:58.200 --> 00:12:01.639 one like it. And we'll spend more most of the three days telling people 149 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:05.600 next year, hey, why don't you participate? If you've got something that 150 00:12:05.639 --> 00:12:11.240 you're proud of, bring it. Melanie Bayliss, who runs our sponsorships and 151 00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:16.240 our donations, she will put you in contact with everything you need to know. 152 00:12:16.679 --> 00:12:18.879 She has a distribution list to reach out to people to remind them this 153 00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:24.840 is coming up year on year, so it is something that every year it 154 00:12:24.919 --> 00:12:28.840 grows a little bit more, and we just we had a lady yesterday, 155 00:12:28.840 --> 00:12:33.519 a local artist that made her own nativity that we've already set up for display. 156 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:37.799 She was like, I've never heard of this. And that's the heartbreaker 157 00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:41.360 for us, is you know that there are people in Bartlesville that still aren't 158 00:12:41.399 --> 00:12:45.840 familiar with the festival, and that's why we're here to promote it. We 159 00:12:45.879 --> 00:12:48.840 don't get anything out of this other than smiles on faces, and hopefully, 160 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:54.600 like I said, what I take very dear to my heart is the fact 161 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:56.120 that there are kids that are out there that are going to wake up Christmas 162 00:12:56.120 --> 00:13:01.360 morning like it's any other day. And that's something that when we're opening, 163 00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:05.759 I still got children at home when they're tearing through the presence. You know, 164 00:13:05.919 --> 00:13:09.679 sometimes we take for granted how blessed we are to live in a community 165 00:13:09.720 --> 00:13:16.519 like Bartlesville, But with that, there are countless kids that are sitting there 166 00:13:16.519 --> 00:13:20.240 going I know what everybody else is doing this morning. I'm waking up and 167 00:13:20.279 --> 00:13:26.440 not getting anything. We're trying to take some of that off off the streets, 168 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:30.639 if you will. We want kids to experience the joy of a gift, 169 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:35.000 because again, Christmas isn't about the presents. It's about the present that 170 00:13:35.080 --> 00:13:39.519 Christ gave us, coming into the world, dying for our sins and giving 171 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:43.840 us eternal life. So that's what we emulate when we give gifts to one 172 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:50.360 another, is representing that gift that God gave us and his son. But 173 00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:54.440 these kids, they need to know that they're loved and they are loved. 174 00:13:54.519 --> 00:14:01.279 I hope that doesn't come across parents and guardians do everything they can, sure, 175 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:05.240 but we are a blessed community that we give out to those that aren't 176 00:14:05.240 --> 00:14:09.200 as fortunate. And this is an opportunity for us. If we're listening and 177 00:14:09.240 --> 00:14:11.399 you feel like you want to help out, one hundred percent of the money 178 00:14:11.399 --> 00:14:16.960 that we raise in this scenario gets spent before December twenty fourth, and it 179 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:24.720 goes specifically to five different school school systems here in Bartlesville school sites and two 180 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:31.679 different organizations that identify children who aren't going to get what we take for granted. 181 00:14:33.159 --> 00:14:35.559 Thank you very much for coming in. Yeah, thanks for sharing. 182 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:39.320 I know sometimes you know I'm sitting here getting all choked up, and I 183 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:41.919 know you are too, but this is really gonna be great. So this 184 00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:46.279 weekend, and it is the thirteenth annual festival of the Nativity Father, Lynch 185 00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:52.159 Hall Friday, Saturday, Sunday nine to nine, every night except Sunday nine 186 00:14:52.200 --> 00:14:56.279 to five, but no cost, free admission. Come in. It's gonna 187 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:58.759 be cold, so come in. It's gonna be nice and warm, warm 188 00:14:58.759 --> 00:15:01.720 your body, warm your heart. Very good. Thank you, Tyter, 189 00:15:01.799 --> 00:15:05.039 thank you Tom. Appreciate it. Alright, folks, you've been listening to our