OC professor volunteers with OKC Thunder’s Mike Muscala and Pay Away the Layaway to help 37 families during Christmas break

Social media pro Chris Strub invited Associate Professor of Communication Josh Watson to help with media relations for the event in Moore, Oklahoma

January 16, 2020 - In mid October, the College of Liberal Arts invited Chris Strub to Oklahoma Christian University for the Oklahoma premiere of his new film “50 States in 50 Days.” The film followed Strub through his 50-day journey of spreading the good of social media to nonprofits around the U.S. 

During his visit to OC, Strub shared one of his experiences with a nonprofit from his last trip to Oklahoma. He talked about his role in Pay Away the Layaway and the positive effect it had on him during the holiday season. 

Pay Away the Layaway uses donations to pay off accounts for families before Christmas and other times of the year. The organization blesses thousands each year and gives many families hope during the holiday season. Strub served as the organization’s national spokesperson in December, helping organize payaway events around the country. The first event and a follow-up update were featured on two episodes of ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

When it came time to organize the Oklahoma payaway event, Strub did not hesitate to reach out to OC Assistant Professor of Communication Josh Watson.

“I knew this would be the perfect event for Dr. Watson and the OC community,” Strub said. 

This year, Oklahoma City Thunder player Mike Muscala paid off 37 recipients’ layaway items at the Burlington Coat Factory in Moore, Oklahoma. It was one of the largest donations made to PATL in the U.S. this year.

With many OC students away on Christmas break, Watson was able to bring his 9-year-old daughter Caroline to help him.

“My daughter and I truly loved seeing Mike make such a difference for so many families in the community,” Watson said. “He was so genuine, and all the store employees were passionate about make the experience as fun as possible. The media coverage the event received was a natural response to a real and meaningful collaborative effort.” 

At the event, Watson worked with Muscala’s promotions assistant from his sports agency, local reporters and social media professionals with the Thunder. The event resulted in multiple news stories in Oklahoma, on NBA.com and in multiple posts from the Thunder’s social media channels.