Tulsa Plus Equals Tulsans Touting Tulsa
By CHARLES CANTRELL
Associate Editor
What’s your favorite Tulsa thing? Is it the winding River Parks trails weaving through age-old cottonwood trees laced with joggers, strollers and cyclists? Is it the Center gleaming in the summer sun waiting for its next big entertainment event? Rr maybe ONEOK Field is your favorite thing with its Tulsa skyline vista coupled with a gentle evening breeze after a hot summer day?
How about the city’s unmatched collection of Art Deco architecture or its vintage, quiet neighborhoods nestled in the shadows of mighty oak trees. Your favorite might be Brookside, Cherry Street, RiverWalk in Jenks, Utica Square, , the Coney Islander, Weber’s Root Beer Stand, The Tulsa Zoo, the Golden Driller, The Tulsa Air and Space Museum, Gilcrease, Philbrook or… well, the list just goes on and on, but you get the idea. If you’ve lived here a month or all your life you know there are many things both large and small to love about Tulsa.
That is the idea behind an upcoming community event called, “Tulsa+,” hosted by a recently formed volunteer group. The idea for forming a group of Tulsa enthusiasts devoted to helping “celebrate Tulsa – for what it is and what it will be” started as a challenge issued by way of Twitter from Tulsan Jesse Boudiette. He and other tweeters answering his call to arms were growing increasingly tired of the persistence of negativity regarding the city. The tweet touched a nerve and everyone agreed it was time for some affirmative pushback.
Tulsa+ goals are clearly stated on their website, www.whatareyouadding.com. “We believe the greater Tulsa community is a wonderful place to live and work. This town has an amazingly diverse culture, a vibrant spirit, a rich history and numerous activities, landmarks and attractions for individuals and families of every persuasion. But many of those positive offerings unfortunately go unnoticed or under appreciated. Tulsa also has amazing promise. We have vast natural resources, a strong foundation of infrastructure and a diverse vision for growth and new experiences.”
According to Tulsa+ steering committee member Andrea Myers, the community wide event invites average citizens, local leaders, passionate philanthropists and non-profit servants from around greater Tulsa to express what they love about the city using whatever means suites them best. “The response so far has been great. We have well over 25 participants ranging from an artist’s submission of sculpture made from recycled material to a video presentation titled, “Tulsa’s Vibrant Christian Community” to a speech about diversity in Tulsa. The response has been terrific and entries continue to come in,” says Myers.
The submissions are coming from all over Tulsa according to Myers. “We have a very diverse group of people submitting their pluses, from various walks of life and age groups reflecting the city’s varied culture. This is what we were hoping for.”
The free to the public event will be held at Tulsa Community College Center for Creativity in downtown at 909 S. Boston Ave. on July 28 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will feature emcees, speeches, video presentations and demonstrations along with complimentary light appetizers provided by Brady Tavern, Elote and Joe Momma’s and a cash bar. It will be a tradeshow, brainstorming session and community forum all rolled into one with the goal of nurturing and maintaining positive momentum for Tulsa, a city many believe is one of the most livable places anywhere.
Anyone interested in the event can find more information at www.whatareyouadding.com.
Updated 08-01-2011
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