Boyd Street Magazine December 2020

Holiday Home Tour

By: Heide Brandes

Maureen ‘Mo’ Crook of Norman knows how children feel when they have to wear hand-medowns. As one of five children of a single mother, she was the kid who had the different colored lunch ticket in the school cafeteria.

“I know what it’s like. I grew up with hand-me-downs. My mother had to care for five kids,” she said. “That’s why I’ve lived and breathed Assistance League Norman since 1995.”

As one of the more than 400 members at Assistance League Norman, Crook now gives back by helping with the organization’s numerous programs. This year, Crook is the chair of the annual Holiday Home Tour.

Assistance League Norman is an allvolunteer, nonprofit organization that helps the community through philanthropic programs in Norman.

“We have so many different programs, but one of the largest is the Operation School Bell,” Crook said. “The Holiday Home Tour benefits that program, and it is one of our largest fundraisers. Everything we do and all our programs are funded through donations and fundraisers like this one.”

This year, the event is planned as a virtual tour that promises to display decorated homes to an even wider audience.

The Assistance League Norman’s Holiday Home Tour is set to begin on Dec. 11. Six homes will be featured in the virtual tour as well as a look at the Assistance League’s philanthropic programs.

Tickets are $20 and homes on this year’s tour are the residences of Suzanne and Alan Cheshier, Mrs. and Dr. Jeff Crook, Mrs. and Dr. Buck Hill, Mrs. and Dr. Jack Beller, Barb and Pat Fitzgerald, and Pat and Melanie Hall.

“When you buy your ticket, you’ll get a link to a virtual tour of all six of the homes. This option helps us reach more people, especially those who are out of town or out of state but still want to participate,” Crook said. “You can do the tour at your leisure by logging on.”

The home tour doesn’t just show off beautifully decorated homes - it helps children in the community too. Proceeds support the Operation School Bell program, which helps provide clothes and shoes to over 1200 students from Norman and Little Axe Public Schools.

Children are referred to the program by their teachers and school counselors, and the number of students clothed depends on the funds raised each year.

“Every Assistance League chapter in the U.S. does an Operation School Bell, but our program is set up like an actual store,” said Crook.

Each child can pick out three tops, two bottoms and a new winter coat. Children also receive five pairs of socks and underwear, a grooming kit, a new book and a backpack to carry their new duds in. Shoe orders are also placed for each child, which are later delivered to the school. Students also select a donated ‘plushie’ toy. These are all donated to the program.

“It’s amazing what happens when kids are given brand-new, trendy clothes to wear to school,” Crook said. “It truly levels the playing field for them. They walk in more confident.

“The reports we get from the schools tell us that the new clothes make a difference - the kids’ confidence goes up, grades go up, attendance goes up and interactions go up.”

Tickets to this year’s virtual Holiday Home Tour are available at assistanceleague.org/norman/holiday-home-tour. – BSM