Casino employees give back to the community
Not all the bells ringing at Colusa Casino Resort are on the slot machines, and the biggest jackpot of the year may have nothing to with gaming.
Employees of the casino and the Indian Community purchased gifts for 82 foster children in the Gridley-based Children's Hope organization.
Many of those children live in Colusa County.
"This is the second year we arranged for our employees to get involved," said Amanda Loftis, who headed up the Angel Tree program for the Indian Community. Last year, gifts were purchased for 49 children.
"Every child gave us two requests for what they wanted for Christmas ... and we adopted 82 children."
The hand-written requests from the children, ranging from newborns to 17, were hung on a tree at the casino. The employees then selected a child, and purchased both requests.
"There were a large number of kids who wanted Dora the Explorer; some kids asked for fishing poles; they asked for bikes with helmets or scooters," Loftis said.
"I think the oldest was 17 and she wanted school supplies for college," Loftis said.
Amazingly, few if anyone asked for anything that would be considered too costly or unreasonable.
Judy Quist, who heads the program for Children's Hope, said the social workers contact the children, but there is rarely any need to coach them on not being too extravagant.
In fact, she said, for many the real gift is the joy that comes with the program.
"I think what it primarily brings to them is a joy for Christmas," Quist said. "It just brings them a smile on their faces. It is a Santa for real."
The real Santa, in turn, makes a visit at the Chidren's Hope Christmas parties — one in Gridley and one in Yuba City.
That is where Santa will quietly collect up all the gifts that are donated by the casino employees as well as several other organizations involved, and delivers them to the children on Christmas Eve.
Children's Hope has 175 children in the foster program.
It's not just the children who feel the joy.
"This was employee-driven and employee-funded, and they were so willing to participate," Loftis said.
