Wamp! There It Is

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Sports

Arkansas Gives Duke A Proper Welcome to Bud Walton Arena

The Razorbacks took down No. 7 Duke 80-75 in front of a record crowd at Bud Walton Arena last night, making for a historic 100th career win for Coach Musselman at Arkansas.

• The Devil Went Down to Faytown: Razorback fans turned out a record-breaking crowd of 20,344 to welcome Duke in their first appearance ever at Bud Walton Arena. This W sets Arkansas ahead 3-2 in the short but epic history between the two programs.

• Leading the Charge: In a nerve-wracking 40 minutes on the court, Trevon Brazile recorded his third double-double of the season, racking up 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Khalif Battle earned the team 21 points and five assists.

Arkansas will host Furman on Monday. Find more details HERE.

Events

Get into the Holiday Spirit Up On Mount Sequoyah

Mount Sequoyah’s Festival of Trees series continues this weekend with Wampus Wonderland on Saturday, Dec 2, from 10a-5p and Cookies with Santa on Sunday, Dec 3, from 1-4p.

• Wamp-a-What? The funky, festive Wampus Wonderland Holiday Craft Show returns, showcasing the best handmade presents in town! Meet local creatives and makers while shopping, and enjoy delicious treats while you shop on Saturday. This event is free!

• Milk & Cookies: Santa Claus will be on the mountain on Sunday to hear your Christmas wishes and take photos. At the same time, indulge in delicious cookies and explore the beautifully decorated trees around campus! Tickets for Cookies and Pictures with Santa are $5.

Find more events in the Festival of Trees series HERE.

Sponsored by AM Group + The Lively Group

Learn Essential Legal and Branding Steps For Small Businesses

Join AM Group and The Lively Group for a special Lunch & Learn: Building Your Foundation covering the essential legal steps and branding for startups at the Apollo in Springdale next Thursday, Dec 7, from noon to 1p.

• Sure Footing: Start with the proper legal foundation. The Lively Group helps people navigate the unique legal needs of their businesses, from deciding corporate structure and drafting the documents that govern your business to helping protect your brand and business by ensuring you have the proper protections in place.

• Best Foot Forward: Learn how to make your brand hard to forget. From real estate and hospitality to nonprofits, lifestyle brands, and more, AM Group has helped businesses build successful media relationships, reach millions of readers, and create lasting impressions with authentic branding.

Boost the growth of your small business by joining the Lunch & Learn HERE.

Startups

NWA Kiva Hub Surpasses $1M in Loans Supporting Local Entrepreneurs

The Northwest Arkansas Kiva Hub is celebrating a significant milestone as they have now provided $1M in interest-free loans to over 100 local entrepreneurs.

• Local Lending: Startup Junkie launched the state’s first Kiva Hub in December 2019, which serves as a local resource center for entrepreneurs and small business owners to access the Kiva platform and obtain no-fee, no-interest microloans of up to $15,000 from a community of local and national lenders.

• Character Score: Kiva's philosophy centers around character over credit and the strength of community-based lending. As a result, the Northwest Arkansas Kiva Hub facilitates funding opportunities for entrepreneurs who may not qualify for traditional lenders.

Learn how you can lend and borrow through the Kiva Hub HERE.

Highlight

Rampy Foundation Relays $60,000 Donation To UAMS for Multiple Sclerosis Research

Earlier this week, a team of runners and walkers relayed a check all the way from Bentonville to Little Rock to deliver a research grant from the Rampy MS Research Foundation to the UAMS Department of Neurology.

• Going the Distance: Run the Check was organized by Jo and Scott Rampy as part of the foundation’s Giving Tuesday fundraising efforts. An initial pledge of $30,000 was doubled by donations made during the run, bringing the total grant to $60,000.

• Moving Towards a Cure: Jo Rampy’s diagnosis with multiple sclerosis catalyzed the couple’s advocacy for MS research and the creation of the Rampy MS Research Foundation in 2012. Since its creation, the foundation has raised close to $900,000 through several fundraisers, including its annual Trifest for MS in Bentonville.

The foundation’s Gravelfest for MS is coming up in April! Learn more HERE.

NWA Daily Picks

In other news…

• 🎄 Season's Greetings in the Stage Light: TheatreSquared's A Christmas Carol brings a classic story to life with a sprinkle of NWA charm! Join us for a festive adventure that will leave your heart aglow and your spirits lifted. Reserve tickets now!*

• 🍾 Wine-ter Wonderland: This holiday season, celebrate responsibly with OJOY Sparkling Blanc. OJOY makes fine dealcoholized wines from 100% real California wine. OJOY Sparkling Blanc contains less than 0.5% abv and has only 15 calories per 6-oz pour. No headaches, no wasted calories, no hangovers. Now available on Amazon and drinkojoy.com*

• 👩‍🍳 What’s Cookin? Cureate is looking for up-and-coming bakers, chefs, farmers, and producers to join its two cohorts this January 2024! Start your year off right with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. Applications close tomorrow, Dec 1!*

• 🍯 Worth Buzzing About: The team from Honeycomb Kitchen put together a great guide of fun ways to enjoy the holidays in Downtown Rogers, including parade schedules, culinary classes, and food tours. Check it out here.

• 🎭 Word on the Street: TheatreSquared of Fayetteville gained national recognition this week, being mentioned in an article by the Wall Street Journal titled “American's Nonprofit Theaters Are Finding Ways to Thrive.”

• 🖼 Art Shhhow: Artists of Northwest Arkansas will host its third annual 6×6 Silent Auction, featuring artwork from the community on Thursday, Dec 14, from 1-4:30p.

• 📅 Ditch the FOMO: Post your upcoming events on our Events Page, and stay in the know about upcoming events mentioned in the newsletter.

• 🥳 Join the Club: Our NWA Daily Fan Club keeps this thing going. In return for being awesome, they get access to exclusive giveaways — ranging from gift cards and concert tickets to bikes and kayaks!

• 🚀 Take Off: Share your message with our growing community of 35,300+ readers. We have several advertising opportunities to help you share your story with Northwest Arkansas.

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Employment

Cool Jobs In NWA

Looking for a job? Find listings in the health, education, and retail industries on our Job Board, or find great candidates by posting your open positions HERE.