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Ron Sarabi – Children's Charities


Ron Sarabi, General Manager of The Hawaiian Gardens Casino in California, arranges a special children's benefit each year, during the winter holidays. Each year the benefit has a larger turn-out, helping more and more children during the holiday season. The article below was previously released by The Hawaiian Gardens Casino and details the casino's annual event.

Santa Clause is Coming To Town

Hawaiian Gardens, CA – The line begins forming at 8am and will reach three blocks long in the first hour.

By the end of the day, more than 2000 children and their families will have paraded through the C. Robert Lee Activity Center in Hawaiian Gardens, CA. for the city's holiday party. Sponsored by Hawaiian Gardens Casino at a cost of more than $90,000, this annual event has become a local tradition.

"The holiday party is something families look forward to all year round," says Site Supervisor of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation, Maria Pacheco, "We currently serve 102 pre-school age children and I can tell you they get very excited for this event."

Holiday clowns, elves on stilts, face painters, magicians and a strolling puppet stage entertain the children who attend Hawaiian Gardens elementary and pre-schools as they wait patiently to enter Santa's winter wonderland.

Once inside, Victorian carolers, a visit with Santa, gifts and lunch await hopeful little faces. Then it's outside to decorate holiday cookies, bust a move with hip tunes spun by a local DJ, and finish with a horse drawn sleigh ride around the park in front of the Hawaiian Gardens City Hall.

To plan, organize and execute this large event, more than 50 Hawaiian Gardens Casino employees, their spouses, children and other family members volunteer each year.

Employment Supervisor Theresa Avila has organized the event for the last eight years. Her 12 year old da8ughter, Alex has been volunteering since she was age four. "I help pack toys in to gift bags and help Santa pass them out to kids. If I see someone not having a good time, I cheer them up," says Alex.

Avila begins planning in late June to have everything ready in time for the mid-December event. This year she will purchase 1200 toys for boys, 12 toys for girls and 500 toys suitable for toddlers. "We have developed partnerships with great companies like Mattel and the Walmart in Cerritos who provide charity pricing on toys for the children."

Left over toys are donated to local charities such as the Long Beach Memorial Hospital and local Hawaiian Gardens churches.

Every department at Hawaiian Gardens Casino lends a hand. Members of the housekeeping division package all 2900 gifts in festive wrapping. The facilities department works with giant sets depicting colorful holiday scenes, delivery of equipment, gifts and food while also overseeing the safety of the event. The food and beverage department makes 2500 lunches for hungry kiddies and mans the cookie decorating station. Volunteers from accounting, human resources and many other departments don elf hats and pitch in to ensure the day runs smoothly.

Hawaiian Gardens Councilmember, Leonard Chaidez has attended the holiday event each year since its inception. "The people of Hawaiian Gardens have long known Irving Moskowitz. He opened the Tri-City Medical Center years before the casino and has always shown a commitment to the community. You don't have to ask them. They just do it on their own."

Hawaiian Gardens Casino General Manager, Ron Sarabi adds, "We have always had a wide open communication with the city. We enjoy working together to put on special events like this."

Annual attendees include Hawaiian Gardens Mayor John Heckerman, Mayor Pro Tem Michiko Oyama Canada, council members Petra Prida and Betty Schultze, as well as Assemblyman Tony Mendoza. Sarabi spends the day at the event, and casino owners Irving and Cherna Moskowitz travel from their home in Ft. Lauderdale to greet local families at the door.

For more information about Ron Sarabi, General Manager of The Hawaiian Gardens Casino, see sources listed below:



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