31st Annual Christmas Home Tour
Junior Ocieleta Club celebrates more than three decades of their popular Claremore holiday event.
By: Carol Beck-Round | Category: In Our Communities | Issue: November 2014
Junior Ocieleta members (L to R) are excited about the 31st annual Christmas Home Tour set for December 6. (Front row): Stephanie Underwood, Ashli Clark, Cassie Woods, Shannon Freeman. (Middle row): Lynsey Simmons, Kristin Roseberry, Courtney Castle, Brandi Payne, Amy Wallace. (Back row): Lindsay Arrowood, Ashly Snyder, Jessica Peck, Savannah Haddock, Megan Snyder.
Since 1983, the Junior Ocieleta Christmas Home Tour has become a community tradition, showcasing some of Claremore’s fantastic homes. The 2014 event marks the club’s 31st annual tour, set for December 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring five residential homes decorated for the Christmas holiday.
Comprised of young women working to raise funds for different charity needs, Junior Ocieleta, through their annual Christmas Home Tour, has assisted many charity organizations. The home tour is their main fundraiser and also provides scholarships for local students.
“Last year’s tour was, unfortunately, not well-attended due to an ice storm the night before,” said Publicity Chair Cassie Woods. “For that reason, John and Jan Belcher’s home at 10099 Ratliff Drive will be re-shown this year.”
Homes being shown for the first time on the tour are that of Sam and Carrie Foster at 19700 S. Par Lane, Bill and Lou Flanagan at 3207 Covey Trail Circle, Tina and Todd York at 24551 S. 4106 Road, and Mark and Stephanie Preiss at 19488 Pecan Ridge Place.
“Each of the homes will be decorated for the holidays according to the personalities of each individual family and are sure to inspire the Christmas spirit in tour attendees,” said Woods. “Club members will also be present at each home to welcome attendees and answer questions. Individuals, families, groups and even bus tours are invited to attend, though we do ask large groups and bus tours to call in advance for
accommodations.”
In addition to the five wonderful homes on the tour, Junior Ocieleta will also be hosting a craft fair at the First Presbyterian Church located at 102 E. 4th Street in downtown Claremore. This venue will double the available vendor space over last year’s craft fair. The fair will feature numerous crafters and vendors with booths featuring items such as Christmas decorations, gifts, crafts, jewelry, baked goods, home accessories, clothing, repurposed furniture and much more. There are still a couple of vendor booth spaces available at $50 each. Interested vendors should contact Ashly Snyder at (918) 409-4469.
In addition to the craft fair, the First Presbyterian Church is also home to Polly’s Pantry, the Presbyterian Women’s most successful fundraiser of the year. It’s a great chance for a break in the tour and fellowship over lunch before or after that last-minute Christmas shopping.
“We are happy to partner with the Presbyterian Women this year and are excited at the possibility of a mutually beneficial relationship that can continue in the future,” said Woods. “We hope tour-goers will stop by and have lunch to
support this great ministry.”
To date, this year’s Home Tour Sponsors include The Burrows Agency, Rex and Sherry Crumpton, Bennett’s Route 66 Pharmacy, Jennifer Watkins - Zeal for Life, M&M Enterprises, LLC, Ron and Nancy Phelps, Tree Line Service, and Claremore Eye Associates. Sponsorship levels are available at increments of $50 to $500, and all sponsors receive recognition according to the sponsorship level they choose. Businesses or individuals interested in sponsoring the tour should call Fundraising Chair Savannah Haddock at (918) 951-0804.
Tickets for the home tour are $10 per person and are available at several local locations, including the Claremore Chamber, RCB Bank, The District on Main, Elizabeth Jean Salon, J&J Pharmacy, Belvidere Mansion, Hoovers, The Nut House, The Pink House, Uniquely Susie’s, or from any Junior Ocieleta member.
For more information, contact
Junior Ocieleta Club
(918) 639-3123
About Author Carol Beck-Round
After 30 years in public school education, Carol Round retired and moved from Grand Lake to Claremore, Oklahoma in 2005, where she writes a weekly faith-based column which runs in 14 Oklahoma newspapers as well as several national and international publications. Three volumes of her columns have been compiled into collections: A Matter of Faith, Faith Matters and by FAITH alone. She has also written Journaling with Jesus: How to Draw Closer to God and a companion workbook, The 40-Day Challenge. This past year she has written three children’s books, a series called Nana’s 3 Jars, to teach children about the value of giving, saving and spending money. All of Carol’s books are available through Amazon. In addition to writing her weekly column, authoring books and speaking to women’s groups, she writes for Value News. She also blogs regularly at www.carolaround.com. When she is not writing or speaking, she loves spending time with her three grandchildren, working in her flowerbeds, shooting photos, volunteering at her church or going on mission trips overseas, and hiking. She is also an avid reader and loves working crosswords and trying to solve Sudoku puzzles.
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