Ohh Chute

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Business

UT Students Win $25,000 in Business Pitch Money

Some TU students have some bright ideas that are paying off.

• Show Me the Money: It’s like ‘Shark Week,’ Tulsa Style. The University of Tulsa's Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and JOLT@TUBusiness hosted the new Hurricane Pitch Competition that showcased student-created ideas and business ventures with the top three teams collectively winning $25,000 in cash prizes.

• Help Me Help You: The winning pitch was from Marama which is a bean that easy grows, but will be used in hopes to help combat food insecurity. 2nd place was SkinCheck, an app that lets users upload skin concern photos to check for cancer. 3rd place was My Gamer which allows fans to control whose perspective they watch during esports competitions.

Learn more about the competition that will continue for at least 10 years HERE.

Events

Tulsa’s Utica Square Announces Plans for Lights On Happening Thanksgiving Night

Break out the scarves, gloves and hot cocoa. It’s time for Lights On at Utica Square.

• Holiday Hustle: The Thanksgiving evening tradition kicks off at 6:30p with live music and open storefronts. Get a little holiday shopping done and enjoy the beauty of more than 700,000 Christmas lights with one flick of a switch.

• Timed Tradition: This will be Utica Square’s 55th year to host lights on. Sing Christmas carols with live musicians and local celebrities. Grady Nichols takes the Lights On Stage this year and Channel 2’s Julie Chin will be the Master of Ceremonies. Don’t forget to stop by and see Santa for a photo.

Plan to bundle up for the countdown! Learn more about the event HERE.

Community

Shop Small, Tulsa Group Offers Large Prize For Shopping Local on Saturday

If you are going to shop, shop local! That’s the vibe from TulsaGO, a guide to all things Tulsa.

• Make Your List: Even Santa is doing some holiday shopping in Tulsa! If you take your list to some local small businesses to get your shopping done, TulsaGO wants to reward you! There are more than 100 local businesses participating in Tulsa and surrounding areas Saturday the 25th. TulsaGO made it easy with this gift guide.

• Check it Twice: The incentive to shop local is steep. TulsaGO is giving away a Tulsa Winter Experience that includes a dinner for two at Prossimo Ristorante, Tulsa Ballet Nutcracker tickets, a couples spa package from Madsen Massage Therapy, and a holiday wreath workshop at Anthousai Florals.

Upload your receipts to win the big prize HERE.

Community

$4.6M is Coming to Oklahoma for Health Improvement Projects

The Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust awarded nearly $4.6M to fund 11 community projects across the state.

• A Step Toward Better Health: It’s no secret that Oklahoma ranks not so hot when it comes to obesity and poor health. There’s new funding on the way to help build or improve parks, trails, community centers, and playgrounds.

• The Breakdown: Westville received the largest portion of the funds with $983,777 going to connect public areas, improve safety and a new multi-outdoor public space. Our neighbors over at Eastern Oklahoma State College will see $110,000 to develop plans for a health and wellness center. 

See the full list of projects and dollar amounts HERE.

Events

Route 66 Christmas Chute is Lit and a Hit

After a better than expected inaugural year, Route 66 Christmas Chute organizers say the event will become a regular celebration.

• Smashing Show: The light show at the second year’s chute will be epic with different themes along the tour. Visitors will see candy land, patriotic, nativity, Rudolph, and gingerbread themes along the Dewey Avenue (Route 66) tour. 

• Flipping the Switch: The Route 66 Christmas Chute had its lights on ceremony last week. Because last year was more successful than expected, organizers say they are going big this year with new activities and decorations designed to get you in the holiday spirit. The display that runs through Dec. 31st.

Take a look at the chute map and events HERE.

In other news

• 👨🏻‍🎨 Pack Your Bags for Art: A Tulsa artist won a trip to Hollywood for his mural designs and book covers.

• 🌽🍗 Grocery Run: If you forgot an ingredient for turkey day, you may be out of luck. Here’s a list of stores that will be open and closed Thursday and Black Friday.

• 🏃‍♀️ Run, Rest, Recover: Tulsa’s Route 66 Marathon is in the books and some Oklahomans can say they were the first to cross the finish line.

• 🥩 Memorable Menu: A newer Tulsa restaurant opened by the McNellies Group reports a good start and offers nostalgia, steaks and some serious sprouts.

• 🧅 Bibles and Bags of Blessings: A local church is giving away groceries to people in need and it’s a year round program, not just for the holidays.

• 🦃 Need to Feed: Many organizations across Green Country are giving away Thanksgiving meals and you can help.

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