Thunder 411

Where to start

May 23rd, 2013

When the number of people in our community affected by the tornado outbreaks on Sunday and Monday of this week seems endless, it’s difficult to know where to start helping. Organizations on the ground such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Regional Food Bank and countless others have been answering that question with incredible swiftness and effectiveness, joining with first responders to meet so many of the immediate needs of those who have been affected.

For the Thunder, we have been sending players, coaches and staff into the community whenever an opportunity has arisen for us to help. We’ve stopped at hospitals and shelters, churches and donation sites, and we’ve even spent time in the middle of some of the worst-hit areas.

We’ve also been working to respond to the needs of our Thunder family. After checking on our staff, who collectively were very fortunate following this week’s destructive storms, we began to reach out to business and community partners, as well as Season Ticket Members, to find out if anyone needed our support.

Stories of those who could use a little help have gradually been coming to light. One of the first such stories we heard about was that of Randy and Heather Sanders, who lost their home in Monday’s tornado. They have a 2-year-old daughter who made it safely through the storm with them, and on Wednesday, they welcomed their second daughter into the world at INTEGRIS.

This morning, the Sanders’ account manager, Sydni, along with a few other staff members, stopped by the hospital with a little – er, rather, a big and furry – surprise. Rumble and the Thunder Girls came to see the Sanders and their daughters, as well as to drop off a care package to give some joy and some assistance as they welcome Tatum into the world and begin the process of rebuilding.

While we were there, we were fortunate enough to visit with a few people who had been injured in the tornadoes – including Jackie, another Season Ticket Member. With every stop, Rumble and the Thunder Girls put a smile on everyone’s faces. An INTEGRIS staffer said multiple times that our visit marked only the first or second time some of these folks had smiled since they were admitted. It’s incredibly humbling to know that many of the people we visited are in need of so much, and yet one of the most powerful things we could give them was a smile.

Our organization continues to be committed to providing ongoing assistance with the relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts that will take place in the weeks and months to come. In the meantime, for any of our fans who wish to help those affected by this week’s storms, we encourage you to donate to the local chapter of the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army.

- Karina Henderson

Posted in Community, Rumble, Thunder Girls | No Comments »

Community

May 21st, 2013

“Rise Together,” “Team is One” and “Community” aren’t just words printed on T-shirts by the Oklahoma City Thunder, they describe a philosophy that resides deep in the heart of many Oklahomans. These words ring true as we come together to comfort our friends, neighbors and families affected by the tornadoes that have crossed the state. The Thunder is committed to playing an active role in relief efforts and we’ve joined several partners in our community to make an impact.

Tuesday afternoon, May 21, members of our staff were on hand at the News 9 Studios to help unload cars, trucks and even a bus filled with donations from people all over our community. Teams of volunteers sorted donations and loaded water, food toiletries and other items onto pallets that were put on a truck and taken to those in need of aid.

Outside the Oklahoma Blood Institute on Lincoln in Oklahoma City, the Thunder Drummers drew a crowd as they played a few cadences. Inside, nervous donors were distracted by Rumble the Bison who provided a much needed laugh for the hard working staff.

In Edmond, OBI welcomed the Thunder Girls who met with donors and even rolled up their own sleeves to help replenish the supply that has already been used by hospitals caring for victims.

We’re proud to work side-by-side with our partners and community members as we recover from this disaster together. OKC is Family.

-Amy Hill

Posted in Community | No Comments »

Love’s Loud City Lovebirds

May 20th, 2013

Thunder fans Matt and Jessica had seats in Love’s Loud City, but after a surprise visit from Thunder Guest Relations Project Coordinator Keli White, we think they were floating on cloud nine.

The video shows Keli informing Jessica that her seat was chosen as the winner of a drawing for a Rumble-signed basketball. Jessica quickly noticed that Rumble hadn’t just signed the ball, he also wrote a note. As she read the bison’s curiously neat handwriting, Matt got down on one knee and waited for her response.

Jessica checked “Yes” and the fans around them cheered.

Congratulations Matt and Jessica!

-Amy Hill

Posted in Game Nights, Playoffs 2013, Rumble, Thunder Fans | 2 Comments »

The Hunt

May 17th, 2013

Before Wednesday’s Game 5, ten Thunder fans who follow our team on social media gathered in a drizzly Love’s Thunder Alley for a scavenger hunt. Their mission: to cross off as many items on their list as possible in 15 minutes. The goal: to win a few great Thunder prizes, including lower-bowl tickets to that night’s game against Memphis.

Within a span of about 10 days, we happened to hit two milestones on social media, reaching 2 million fans on Facebook and 500,000 followers on Twitter. It seemed like a great excuse for a giveaway, but as the wheels turned in our minds, we decided to do something more elaborate than just an enter-to-win contest. When we hit 1 million Facebook fans, we had done a less elaborate scavenger hunt – so we thought we’d take the same idea, but have it all happen right in Love’s Thunder Alley.

We had planned and planned this event, but the one thing we didn’t really plan on was drizzle. If it had been sunny and wonderful, everything would have gone just as planned. If it had been an all-out downpour, we had a back-up plan to determine our winners. But Wednesday’s weather was just so-so. With ten eager fans ready to take on the challenge, though, we went ahead and set ‘em loose on Thunder Alley.

To give you an idea of what our scavenger hunters had to do, their list of tasks included things like getting a photo at one photo station (5 points), finding out what the halftime act was (answering “Red Panda” was worth 25 points), completing the Skills Challenge (20 points), starting at dance-off at the Skullcandy DJ booth (50 points) and getting their photo with someone named Mary Jo (finding our own manager of event presentation netted 75 points).

We tallied the points on our contestants’ rain-softened scoresheets and found that Hayley Bishop of Oklahoma City (@haywaitup on Twitter – we love that) was our winner with 305 points. Hayley had her choice of either the tickets or a Thunder team-autographed basketball, and she chose the ball.

Second place was a tie, and Bethany Jones of OKC and Shelby Nelson of Moore did a quick trivia quiz to determine who go the tickets. Bethany edged out the competition and, along with her best friend, ran excitedly into the arena to watch the game.

You can watch a video of the contest here (including some great dance moves and chanting). Despite the water falling from the sky, our finalists all had a great time taking on the challenge of Love’s Thunder Alley.

- Karina Henderson

Posted in Game Nights, Playoffs 2013, Promotions, Thunder Fans | No Comments »

Can’t Stop Her

May 15th, 2013

You might remember Tarah Warren. The last time she was at Chesapeake Energy Arena, she was going to start a round of chemotherapy the next day to fight her Stage 4 ovarian cancer. Our photographers had caught a picture of the sign she held up that night, but as she was going through chemo, we didn’t get a chance to meet her after she came to that March game.

Guess who’s in the house tonight – finished with chemo, and having walked just this weekend at her graduation ceremony where she received her Master’s in Social Work:

Tarah is here tonight with her husband Ben, and I couldn’t have been happier to see them here or more grateful to finally have a chance to meet her. And I know she’ll be giving it all she’s got tonight to cheer our team on.

- Karina Henderson

Posted in Chesapeake Energy Arena, Playoffs 2013, Thunder Fans | No Comments »

Chasing rainbows (and mud puddles)

May 13th, 2013

The Thunder Color Me Rad crew before ….

… and after.

When people ask me what the culture of our business office is like, I usually start out with some kind of explanation of how we work hard, but we also play hard.

It’s an old saying, but it definitely applies. When we’re working, we push each other and come together as a team. When we’re not working, we’re still challenging each other and supporting each other in so many ways.

Several folks from our office embarked Saturday morning to one of two locations: the Color Me Rad 5K at the State Fairgrounds, or the Dirty 30 race in Mulhall.

Before and after for the Dirty 30 team.

Both events involved physical challenges, mental focus and probably ruining a few T-shirts. Both also involved doing some good outside of getting a workout, as some proceeds from Color Me Rad and the Dirty 30 benefit various nonprofits.

We are all part of an NBA team, and certainly there’s an office culture here that encourages physical fitness. But that doesn’t mean we’re all athletes. A few people on our team walked the 5K. For some of us, this was our first 5K to run. We may not have finished in record time, but the encouragement of our co-workers made us believe we could finish. And we did.

This kind of “off-the-court” (so to speak) bonding and encouragement are a big part of our office environment, and it’s another way we all know that we’re truly in the Thunder family.

- Karina Henderson

Posted in The Office | No Comments »

Campbell’s Star-Spangled Sing-Along

May 10th, 2013

Campbell Walker Fields is a snappy dresser, WWE enthusiast and lover of facts. He is also a talented vocal performer. The 11-year-old shared his incredible gift before Game 2 against the Grizzlies on Tuesday, May 7. Watch as his powerful but simple performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” compels fans to sing along:

Campbell, who has been performing since the age of five, is fearless about singing to an arena full of strangers.

“Singing in front of that many people really isn’t that nerve-wracking for me.” Campbell said. “It’s kind of an adrenaline rush right when I start to sing.”

Campbell goes to school at Classen School of Advanced Studies and Performing Arts in Oklahoma City. He works hard to develop his talent with lessons in voice, tap, screen acting and piano, but finds it difficult to pin down his vocal style and influences.

He said, “It’s tough to pick one or two mentors because I don’t really know what genre I belong in. I listen to a lot of Broadway, and I love Jerry Lee Lewis and Tennessee Ernie Ford.”

Even without a genre of his own, his hard work is paying off. Campbell’s resume is packed with regional and local stage productions, TV commercials, films and special events. Most recently, he played the part of Artful Dodger in Oliver! at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. He is also in the film Home Run, which is currently playing in Bricktown, and this summer he will join the cast of FLY at the Dallas Theater Center.

After seeing him perform, it’s clear this kid’s future is bright. I’m officially getting in on the ground floor of his fan club.

-Amy Hill

Posted in Game Nights, Playoffs 2013 | Comments Off

#WeAreThunder: Parenthood

May 10th, 2013

Mother’s Day is Sunday. Now, before you grab your keys and run out to get a last-minute card, keep reading – it might give you an idea for something different mom would love.

We retweeted Erin’s post a couple of days ago and noticed that a few moms responded by saying they’d love to get Thunder tickets for Mother’s Day.

Not convinced? Take a look at some of our #WeAreThunder photos from Tuesday’s game. There were a lot of sons and daughters who watched the game with their moms (and some dads, too):

Whether you get mom some tickets for Wednesday’s game, or just spend the time to watch it with her, let us know what mom thinks. We love hearing about the bond within families who watch the Thunder together.

Now, go ahead and run to get that card.

- Karina Henderson

Posted in Playoffs 2013, Thunder Fans | Comments Off

Ups and Downs

May 9th, 2013

Joann Adair started working at the arena a year before the Thunder arrived in OKC and has been part of the Thunder family since the beginning. On most game nights you’ll find her in the elevator at Section 101, encouraging fans to keep the energy up and stay positive. One day while thinking about what it means to be a Thunder fan, as our fans tend to do, she got an idea and decided to decorate her elevator.

As you can see, to Joann being a Thunder fan means being proud member of our community, win or lose, by encouraging and supporting the players, coaches and fellow fans, from tipoff until the final buzzer and for every moment in between.

Thanks for your encouraging signs Joann! Keep up the good work.

-Amy Hill

Posted in Community, Game Nights, Thunder Fans | Comments Off

Behind the T-shirts

May 9th, 2013

playoffs 2013 035

We’ve shared some great stories (like this one, and this one) about the volunteers who put playoff T-shirts on the 18,203 seats at Chesapeake Energy Arena. But not too long before our staff and volunteers start breaking open the boxes full of gear to put out at the arena, Chris Johnson and his crew at USA Screen Printing are pushing themselves and their equipment just about to the limits to turn around this many T-shirts in what is frequently a very narrow window of time.

The morning before Game 2, Chris and his team opened up their shop for us to take a look into the full process. Blue and white shirts sat stacked on lines of carts. Eight presses spun in sync, laying down ink on the front and sleeve of each piece. Two dryers whooshed with hot air, helping to set the design before the shirts were boxed up.

It was a massive process that engaged every resource the shop had. Even at USA, one of the largest screen printers in the area, running at full throttle still means at least a 12-hour run to print the 20,000 shirts the Thunder orders for each game.

To give you some context for that window for printing shirts: Until our Round 1 series ended, there were only about 36 hours until the Thunder hosted Game 1 of the second-round series. But Chris and his crew delivered, with plenty of time for our team to put the shirts out on the seats the day before the game.

Take a look at this great video that shows a little more of the process, including a very cool time lapse of the T-shirts going out in the arena.

At least we have a little more than 36 hours between now and Game 5 …

- Karina Henderson

Posted in Chesapeake Energy Arena, Playoffs 2013, Thunder Stuff | 7 Comments »