OKMULGEE, Okla.- The Kick-or-Treat event was held at the newly-located New Prosper Studios on Oct. 28. Attendees enjoyed treats that were passed out along with hotdogs, chips and drinks. Due to inclement weather, the event was hosted at the studio instead of the original location, the Muscogee Nation Omniplex.
Prosper Studio owner and 400 Waves member Kayleb Brown (Mvskoke) and his girlfriend Mykalia Frank (Mvskoke) helped co-host the Kick-or-Treat event. Along with them were the entire New Prosper Studio family, Brown’s brothers, and family. This was their second annual Halloween-themed event.
The event saw families and children from throughout the community dress up in costumes. Those in attendance appeared to enjoy themselves.
The turnout exceeded expectations due to the location change and downsizing where it could be hosted indoors. Overall the crew handed out somewhere between 300-350 bags of candy, and 160 hotdogs. According to Brown and Frank, while the event ran out of food and treats, that is not a bad thing as they hope to see the event grow bigger every year.
The event received donations from Walmart, New Music & New Artist, SkoTrim, Ausbrooks, Randy’s Food, Big Dollar Pawn, Okie Trees and Johnson’s Stepping Stone Cafe as well Brown’s family members.
Both Brown and Frank enjoyed seeing the families that attended. They also enjoyed giving back to the community. Brown mentioned how grateful and happy he felt helping with the event, especially by giving away free food and treats at no cost. “A lot of people were happy and it made us happy,” Brown said.
Everyone involved with the event wore a Kick-or-Treater sweater. Frank made the sweaters and came up with the design herself.
The Kick-or-Treat name came from Brown’s brother who is a rapper. “We were at the house and my brother was talking about doing stuff in the community and what we could do, then he just came up with saying, ‘what about kick-or-treat bub and sis?’, and it had a little ring to it so we just ran with it,” Brown said.
Both Brown and Frank were glad to receive support from the community, different businesses, as well as family and friends. “I’m thankful for the community for helping out and look forward to doing it next year,” Frank said.
The couple is exploring ideas on future community events. They both discussed doing something for children on the weekends or after school. “We have a big backyard out here and we would like to show movies or something,” Frank said.
The studio welcomes new artists or anyone that wants to start making music of their own.
For further information about New Prosper Studios, they can be contacted at 918-777-6797. They can also be found on social media platforms under the handle, @NewProsperStudios.
Head Start Trick-or-Treat
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation held their annual Trick-or-Treat event for MCN Okmulgee Head Start students at the Okmulgee Indian Community Center on Oct. 31. Different MCN programs participated and dressed up in Halloween costumes to pass out candy to students.
Around 111 students attended this event, 23 departments and programs provided booths to hand out candy for students. Some of the MCN Departments included the Department of Education and Training, Finance, Reintegration, Transit, and the Mvskoke Language Department.
Students left the event with all sorts of treats. They were also able to show off their Halloween costumes. Students were seen smiling and laughing with their classmates. MCN Department members dressed up with their own Halloween costumes and decorated booths. Some of the parents even joined in with their students, and witnessed their excitement from what the event had to offer.
MCN Okmulgee Head Start Parent and Family Community Engagement Specialist Tina Ward stated that she would like to express her gratitude to the different departments and programs that attended and passed out candy. She is appreciative of the hard work each department put in, and the engagement with students.
One of the most memorable moments for Ward was seeing a student dressed up as MCN Principal Chief David Hill. The real Chief Hill even offered the student his own MCN lapel pin.
Ward mentioned in a statement that she is also grateful for MCN Department of Education and Training Project Manager Elsa Lowe, who switched the event’s locale to the Okmulgee Indian Community Center due to inclement weather. Lowe also made flyers for the event.
“Community engagement is an important aspect of the Head Start program. Showing support for the children and families by coming together has the possibility of presenting opportunities for families to become more aware of the programs throughout the Muscogee Nation. Having support of these departments shows our children and families that they are valued,” Ward said.
