The management team at Lakeside Hotel & Casino in Osceola, Iowa could sense the need for a little extra holiday cheer in their community this year. So, they placed a quick call to Ashleigh Eckels, Executive Director at Osceola Chamber Main Street to discuss a festive idea to brighten spirits and bring a little joy to local families. Together, they put together a program, reached out to local businesses, and “HOLIDAY GIVING TREES” was born.
“We’re thrilled to be part of this campaign,” said Liane Crawford, Marketing Director for Lakeside Hotel & Casino. “This is new to Lakeside and to Osceola, and we hope to really see it grow in the future.”
The Holiday Giving Trees campaign is simple: Lakeside Hotel & Casino has purchased a variety of trees and plans to host them, on site, for the public campaign. To decorate the trees, the OCMS team reached out to local businesses to find interest in sponsoring a tree with a custom, holiday theme. All of this was put together in just a couple weeks, and those companies interested only have a short time to finish decorating, but the response was overwhelming.
“We weren’t sure what to expect when we started contacting local businesses, but we were blown away by the positive reactions,” said Eckles. “In less than a week, twenty local companies accepted the challenge. The interest was really heartfelt and they were all excited to be part of the holiday fun.”
The trees, sized at 5’, 6’ and 8’, are scheduled to be delivered to Lakeside on Tuesday, November 24th. Teams from each of the participating businesses including Timber Ridge Country Market, Iron Horse Neighborhood Grill, Ivy Rose, Osceola Foods, Mayberry’s, Clarke County Emergency Management, and more will come in and trim their tree with lights and decorations for their own unique holiday theme. From December 1st through the 16th, guests and visitors to Lakeside will be able to vote for their favorite tree, with the winning tree receiving a special prize and, more importantly, bragging rights for the year. Then, on December 17th and 18th, each tree, including all lights and decorations, will be donated and delivered through the local Toys for Christmas program to a family who otherwise wouldn’t have a tree for the holidays.
“With everything going on, it’s wonderful that Osceola businesses and Lakeside Hotel & Casino have created and are taking part in this new campaign,” said Eckles. “It’s another way to help make the holidays brighter for everyone.”
Starting December 1st, members of the community are invited to don their holiday cheer and stop by Lakeside to see all the creative Holiday Giving Trees themes and take a moment to vote for their favorite.