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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2011)
JO® Courtesy photos by Chinook Winds Casino Resort staff Chinook Winds staff (above), including Angela Calkins and her granddaughter Taylor, Rich Vaughn, Monica Logan, Melinda Logan, Carole Clark, Heidi Cookson and her son, and Teresa Simmons, as well as community volunteers, set up the pinwheel garden. Teresa Simmons (above left) is named co-winner of the Woman of the Year Award at the Community Days Banquet. Ashlin DeMello (left) receives the Community Spirit Award from Sar Richards, casino general manager. Chinook Winds Casino Resort employees Heidi Cookson (1) and Lee Johnson (r) with Tillie Miller from the Lincoln City Food Pantry (below) brave the rain to volunteer at the Community Days Food Drive. Chinook Winds partners with several groups during annual Community Days Each year, Lincoln City holds Com munity Days, a citywide event designed for local residents. This celebration is planned by a volunteer committee that includes a representative from the casino and its events are fundraisers for area nonprofits. Such a wide range of events take place during the nine days of Community Days that there really is something for everyone. The date changes from year to year because the week is anchored by Eas ter weekend, when the Kiwanis Club has an Easter egg hunt for area children. The events change from year to year as well. Chinook Winds Casino Resort takes part in many of the events throughout the week, culminating with the Com munity Days Awards Banquet on the final Saturday (April 30 this year), held at Chinook Winds. Each year, Chinook Winds presents a Spirit Award to one indi vidual who has exemplified community spirit. This year’s Spirit Award winner is Ashlin DeMello, who has set an amazing example for today’s youth. 22* • Siletz News • In 2006 when her cousin, Seth, was killed in combat in Iraq, she became deter mined to never waste the freedoms he died to protect and made a promise to honor Seth’s memory by making a difference in the world. Since then, she has made the world a better place. In just the past year, DeMello con tinued to deliver Meals on Wheels, vol unteered Sundays at her church, became a volunteer firefighter and first responder, raised money for and then went to Haiti for a month to help continue the relief efforts, turned 18 and last but certainly not least, graduated from high school. Also honored at the Community Days Banquet was Community Relations Man ager Teresa Simmons, who was named co-winner of the 2011 Woman of the Year award. She was nominated for her dedication to service and nonprofit organizations throughout the city. Also mentioned was her steadfast commitment to community in bringing the Siletz Tribe and Chinook June 2011 Winds together with what is going on around Lincoln City. Simmons has been employed at Chi nook Winds for more than 14 years. Miss Oregon Stephenie Steers, spon sored by the Lions Club, made appear ances throughout the week. Chinook Winds provided lodging for her stay in Lincoln City. She is shown on page 20 with a Chinook Winds Relay For Life T-shirt presented to her at a Kiwanis Club lun cheon. Steers promised to wear it at the opening lap of the Relay For Life event in Seaside this summer. Chinook Winds, in cooperation with the Lincoln City Cultural Center and the Children’s Trust Fund of Oregon, sponsored a pinwheel garden at the Cultural Center to heighten awareness of child abuse in Oregon and promote its prevention. Pinwheels shining brightly in the sun and spinning in the wind were gently and patiently placed in the ground on the Cultural Center lawn by casino staff and community volunteers on April 23 to herald the opening of Community Days. Later, they were removed and saved to be placed around the perimeter of the casino’s child care/arcade for people to enjoy throughout the spring and summer. Chinook Winds also provided logoed mints tucked into Easter eggs at the Kiwanis’ Easter egg hunt; staff volun teered to be announcers during Radio Days; a staff member and member of the Kiwanis Club planned the putt putt golf event for the Kiwanis Club; a Relay For Life trivia fundraiser was held at Aces Bar & Grill; staff worked at the annual food drive at Kenny’s IGA and at the Kiwanis breakfast; and Chinook Winds sponsored two teams in the Mud Flats Golf Tourna ment. These were just a few of the many events that took place during the week and those in which Chinook Winds had direct involvement. This is just one example of Chinook Winds’ ongoing commitment to partner ship in the community.
