Kick Off the Holidays and Make a Difference

The Pregnancy Resource Center of Owasso is raising funds by selling tickets to the Simon Evening of Giving.

It is almost time again for the Simon Evening of Giving, a charity event held every year at Simon malls across the country to kick off the holiday season while helping local charities. The after-hours event features exclusive store discounts, holiday entertainment, gifts with purchase, a live auction, food sampling and, of course, shopping. The Pregnancy Resource Center of Owasso is excited to be a part of this year’s event, which will be held Sunday, November 18.

By selling tickets to the event, the Pregnancy Resource Center of Owasso, known as PRCO, will be able to retain $7 for every $10 charged per ticket. Proceeds will help the organization further its goals in the community. “This is a great way to raise funds for the Pregnancy Resource Center of Owasso and to enjoy an evening out with your family,” says Laurel Parr, advancement director at PRCO. “We hope no one will miss this opportunity to get discounts on holiday shopping while increasing the resources for our organization.”

According to Lindsay Bippus, director and volunteer coordinator at PRCO, the goal of the organization is to help pregnant women find help and hope for the future. Buying tickets for the Simon Evening of Giving is only one of many ways to help PRCO. “We are always recruiting volunteers,” Bippus says. “The more volunteers we have, the more people we can help.” With its funds, PRCO also sponsors baby showers for expectant mothers, provides baby baskets for new moms and their babies and hosts its Baby Boutique, which is part of its Earn While You Learn program.

PRCO’s Earn While You Learn program allows expectant mothers to earn credits by working with parenting instructors. Participants learn about the challenges that lie ahead and what to expect from pregnancy and motherhood while attending regular lessons, completing homework and holding down steady jobs. Expectant mothers earn “mommy money” that can be spent in PRCO’s Baby Boutique on needed items like baby clothes, diapers, baby wipes, cribs and maternity clothes. Donating to the Baby Boutique is one way to help PRCO.

Both Bippus and Parr express deep gratitude to all those who continue to make the program possible. “It takes a lot of time and money to operate a center like ours,” Parr mentions. “Without the generous donations of our partners, it would be difficult to meet the needs of our clients.” She also points out that the center helps its clients from the very beginning of their pregnancies by offering free, self-administered pregnancy tests, counseling and a network of community support for medical, legal, housing, education and adoption needs. “Many lives are being changed by the examples of our donors’ generous and willing hearts, and we thank them for their continued efforts to keep our center operating smoothly,” Parr continues.

Although it is called the Pregnancy Resource Center of Owasso, the organization is the only pregnancy resource center between Tulsa and Bartlesville. It serves Sperry, Skiatook, Oologah, Claremore, Collinsville, as well as other smaller communities. Having joined PRCO’s staff in the last year, Bippus and Parr are looking forward to taking their great organization to even greater heights by involving people in the communities it serves. They encourage anyone willing in these communities to help through donations of time, money and resources. “I am honored and excited to serve as the new director of PRCO,” says Bippus. “I know that God has so much in store for us at the center, and I am thrilled to see those plans develop.”

The 2007 Simon Evening of Giving will be held at Woodland Hills Mall from 7:30 to 10 p.m. on Sunday, November 18. There is no better way to kick off the holiday season than with great discounts, holiday entertainment, good food and shopping. Better yet, many pregnant women in need will be helped with your ticket purchase. To find out more about purchasing tickets to the event from PRCO or to volunteer your time or resources to the organization, contact PRCO at (918) 272-6888.

For more information, contact

Pregnancy Resource Center of Owasso

(918) 272-6888