Casino volunteers help Confidence Learning Center
EAST GULL LAKE - What would have taken Confidence Learning Center staff a month to accomplish, took Lend a Hand volunteers six hours Wednesday.
Grand Casino Mille Lacs sent 21 volunteers through its Lend a Hand program to assist Camp Confidence prepare for its Fall Outdoor Auction - its biggest fundraiser, which is planned Saturday.
Darwin Hatch (left) and George Dambowy Wednesday carried a chair out to the parking lot at Confidence Learning Center in East Gull Lake. The two men were among 21 volunteers in the Grand Casino Mille Lacs' Lend a Hand program helping the camp get ready for its Fall Outdoor Auction, which is Saturday.
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Volunteers were sweating as they cleaned up vehicles, wiped off dressers and other furniture and loaded and unloaded thousands of items to display them in the parking lot in front of the Mariucci Lodge.
"What they're doing is incredible," said Jeff Olson, Confidence Learning Center executive director. "It'd take us a month to do this. All of their work will help us financially to offset other expenses and it will benefit our campers. We're doing OK, but we've been watching our budget closely.
"This will be our biggest auction yet."
If you go:
What: Confidence Learning Center Fall Outdoor Auction.
When: 9 a.m. to preview items and auction starts at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Items: Include roll-top desk, buffet desk, tables and chairs and other furniture as well as sporting goods, vehicles and snowmobiles.
Cost: All proceeds from auction sales benefit Confidence Learning Center.
Olson said Camp Confidence collects donations throughout the year for the auction fundraiser. He said this year, three pole barns and his personal garage were full of "nice quality" items. Olson said last year they raised about $23,000. This year he hopes to raise between $20,000-$30,000.
Olson said with the help of the Lend a Hand volunteers, workers at Camp Confidence have had more time to do other things, such as improving the grounds at the camp.
The Lend of Hand program is in its fifth year. Lon Burr, vice president of facilities at Grand Casino, said the casino's facility department started the program as a way to give back to the community. He said the corporate office of the casino supports the program's endeavors in that it pays its employees their wages to take the time to volunteer for the program.
Sarah Barten, Grand Casino public relations specialist, said each year the Lend a Hand program helps deserving individuals or families in need of a one-day home makeover project. Individuals or families who meet criteria based on income, physical limitations, medical issues and other challenges can qualify to be chosen for the program.
Barten said this year the program switched gears to help a nonprofit agency. Barten said in today's economy there are limited resources and nonprofits need help. Barten said by helping Camp Confidence, the Lend a Hand program will in return help up to 12,000 campers.
Barten said casino employees also conducted a donation drive and collected 400 items to donate to the camp.
Todd Christopherson, project manager at the casino, who also volunteered Wednesday said last year Lend a Hand helped a couple clean up their property. He said the volunteers cleaned up and loaded 330 trash bins of garbage to be hauled away. Christopherson said it felt good to help the couple who weren't physically able to do the work. He said this year he's pleased to be able to help thousands of campers by helping prepare for the auction.
Burr said, "This (Lend a Hand program) is just a small portion of what the Grand Casino does to give back to the community. It does a lot of charitable things, but it doesn't toot its horn about it."
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.