On the Town: Fundraiser for NYAJ raises $40K for new Moore coffee shop

Guests to Not Your Average Joe’s recent fundraiser played pickleball, enjoyed live music and raised more than $40,000 toward the nonprofit organization’s goal of building a new coffee shop location in Moore.

Not Your Average Joe, or NYAJ for short, employs more than 150 students and adults with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities in its mission to empower people with meaningful employment. It has been fun to watch this organization grow and live out its tagline of being “acceptional” by including people of all abilities and by making great coffee and food items for breakfast, lunch and snacks (and some catering). It has been fun to watch.

NYAJ will use the proceeds from the fundraising event at Chicken N Pickle to help reach its goal of raising $300,000 to open a new location in Moore later this year, a news release stated. During the 2023-2024 school year, Moore Public Schools showed community support for a new location by raising $228,000 for NYAJ through the Moore Love philanthropic initiative.

The event included nearly 300 families, community members, business leaders and others who played inclusive pickleball and enjoyed live music from Sleepy T and the Dirt Daubers, the restaurant’s dining options and a live auction, according to the release. Tim Herbel, NYAJ’s executive director and founder, was auctioneer.

“Moore has a really active community of students and adults with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities, and we're looking forward to watching that city support NYAJ's home-grown coffee shop,” said Kelli Bruemmer, an NYAJ board member, said in the release.

Sponsors for the event included Armstrong Bank, BarK, DWG Accounting, Fowler Automotive, Funk Companies, Robinson Financial Services and Tinker Federal Credit Union.

To learn more or to donate, go to nyaj.coffee .

Oklahoma Shakespeare

Oklahoma Shakespeare’s production of “Macbeth” opens on Thursday in the Paseo Arts District in Oklahoma City. It is the inaugural show of the Emerging Artists Collective of Oklahoma Shakespeare, a young professionals theater group.

Showtimes are Thursday through Saturday evenings and on Sunday afternoons through Aug. 18 in the Black Box Theatre of OK Shakespeare in the Park, 2920 Paseo.

The show is one of Shakespeare’s famous tragedies about a man’s ambition that turns him into a tyrant, a news release noted. For information, go to okshakes.org .

The timing of the show aligns with the District’s monthly First Friday Art Walk from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday.

Poetry and art

The 1515 Lincoln Gallery in Oklahoma City will feature the poetry of Julane Borth during the Oklahoma Poetry House from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. It includes an open mic session. Borth is the founder of EWF International, and her career has included being a crisis center executive director and business consultant and now, poetry. Her first poetry book, “The Shadow Cast,” was published in 2019 and it was one of six finalists for Oklahoma Book Award Poetry submissions; her second came out in 2022. For information or to make a reservation, call 405 593-1063.

Have an idea, item or event for On the Town? Email lillie.beth@yahoo.com.

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