That's what Siegfried and Roy have been telling Las Vegas audiences for decades. I have heard them more times than I can remember. But it wasn't until Sunday night that I understood the real beauty in their message. It happened on West Oakey.
When my friend, Bill Walters, called to tell me about a special evening he and Susan were helping plan this past Sunday, I got one of those feelings that have become more prevalent as I have grown older. While I had heard of the Magical Forest, it was not something about which I was very familiar. So when he told me about the Holiday Angel Party and suggested that Myra and I might have fun volunteering to help, it was easy to say yes. First of all, you can't say no to Billy because when he asks for help it is always to help those who are less fortunate or in need. Secondly, once my wife heard there was an opportunity to help kids, there was no stopping her.
For those of you who are information challenged like I was with regard to the Magical Forest, it is a small piece of a heavenly treat at 6300 W. Oakey that rivals anything of its kind when it comes to providing the Christmas holiday spirit for Las Vegans. For the few weeks before Christmas, it is a place where young and old alike can get lost in a fantasyland that stretches from the North Pole to the Las Vegas Strip and most places in between. And it is a place where children and smiles become one.
There are some things that we do in business that give truth to that old adage that giving is far better than receiving. I feel cheated in a way because a company with which I am involved has given life to a party that has as its sole purpose the provision of joy to people who can use all they can get. And I have not been there. Six years ago Prime Cable, under the watchful eye and energetic heart of Steve Schorr, started the Holiday Angel Party to help provide the clients of Opportunity Village a very special Christmas season. Each year since and for the last three under the sponsorship of Cox Communications, the Magical Forest has been a winter wonderland for hundreds of special people who experience cheerfulness and joy at the sights and sounds of that incredible place. Whether it is a ride through the forest on trains or a walk through the snow-lined t rails of exhibits funded by a giving community, Las Vegas families can experience the magic that surrounds that special pla! ce.
This year one of Opportunity Village's most committed benefactors believed that the Holiday Angel Party should be shared with young people and their families for whom this season would provide sparingly little in the Christmastime spirit. That's when Bill Walters went to work. With Linda Smith and her tireless crew of volunteers and with his ability to bring needed financial resources to bear where none existed, Billy set out to make this year's party one for the books.
Enter Pastor Bob Perry, who managed a list of several hundred underprivileged children and their families. Enter Cox Communications' general manager, Mark Lipford, and his commitment to provide presents for every child. Enter those delightful volunteers from the train historical society who made sure that not only did those trains run on time, but also that every young passenger got the ride they deserved. Enter the Las Vegas Food and Beverage Association, which made sure the kids had plenty to eat. And, most importantly, enter the children and Opportunity Village clients, who came with childlike hope and wonder and left with smiles that would not be forgotten.
Those are the ingredients that make for one of the best evenings Myra and I have spent in this city in a very long time. And we were not alone. There were plenty of other "busy" people who managed to come for a few minutes and stay a few hours to help the kids ride the carousel, visit Santa, play the games and ride the trains. It seems that once the word gets out that people are having a good time helping others, you can't keep folks away.
City Councilman Mike McDonald was helping at the train station. The only break he took was to tell the people in television land about the great time they were missing and to tell all Las Vegans about the Magical Forest. And there just couldn't be an event like this going on without County Commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey to lend a hand and a goodly measure of support. The same is true for City Councilman Gary Reese who tried, as I did, to help by staying out of everyone else's way. There are plenty of demands on our elected officials' time, so when they show up for far more than an "appearance" and actually help, then you know you've got something good going. And what Cox Communications, Bill Walters and the good people at Opportunity Village had going that night was, indeed, good. And it got so much better when one of my favorite people, Phyllis McGuir e, showed up. That woman can light up a room. She comes from that old school that demands participation in the community an! d, in that regard, Phyllis gets very high marks. Add entertainer Steve Wyrick to the mix and there was very little that the kids could want for that evening. Especially once they got their hands on those stuffed animals!
But, as in every magical story, there was more. There were more than 1,000 children with smiles on their faces that they might otherwise not have had this holiday season. There were two other people there that night with smiles even wider. When Nevada's governor, Kenny Guinn, and our first lady, Dema Guinn, entered the forest they provided an exclamation point to the party that those children may never forget. Most of the kids never heard of Gov. Guinn or even know what a governor is. But one day, when they are old enough to understand, they will realize that they were important enough to the people of this state and this amazing city, that the governor himself showed up to help. Show me another state where that happens!
That's because in magic -- and in Magical Forests -- anything is possible. Maybe that explains this wonderful feeling we have.
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