Ciara Green

So Cal Inland Empire’s Most Deserving Families Receive a “Holiday of Hope” Courtesy of Pechanga

Family poses with Lakers Legends A.C. Green and Derek Fisher at Pechanga’s 8th Annual Holiday of Hope

TEMECULA, Calif. – (Dec. 13, 2024) – Four hundred Inland Empire children and their families were welcomed to Pechanga by special invitation to enjoy a winter wonderland holiday extravaganza. During Pechanga’s eighth “Holiday of Hope” event, the guests of honor enjoyed several different holiday activities – photos with Santa, a traditional holiday buffet style meal, train rides, Christmas singers from local high school choirs, holiday bingo, cookie decorating and more. They even got to say hello to Los Angeles Lakers Legends A.C. Green and Derek Fisher, who participated with the kids decorating holiday cookies and posed for photos.
The evening was filled with holiday music, laughter and smiling faces inside the Pechanga Resort Casino Summit Events Center.

 

Little girls pose with Lakers Cheerleaders at Pechanga’s Holiday of Hope in 2024

Each child and his or her family were identified by the Temecula, Lake Elsinore and Murrieta School Districts as in-need, with many experiencing homelessness, caring for foster youth, battling life threatening illness, or had tragic unforeseen circumstances impact them this year. According to an August 2023 report, homelessness was up 12-percent in Riverside County from the previous year. There were 3,725 homeless children and adults in Riverside County, Calif., up from 2022’s count of 3,316.

“We’re here at Pechanga and excited and thankful to celebrate. It’s the Holiday of Hope, and there are so many young people that without the support of Pechanga, would not get the chance to enjoy such an amazing experience,” said Lakers Legend Derek Fisher.

 

“The Holiday of Hope event lets us share Pechanga’s heart with families who can use it the most. This event brightens so many people’s lives here in the community,” said Ken Perez, President of the Pechanga Development Corporation. “The holidays can be tough for a lot of people. When people feel supported, the entire community benefits, and this is one of the meaningful ways in which Pechanga expresses our care and support for our community.”

“We got some awesome young people making some dreams come true, meeting Santa Claus and having a lot of fun doing it all,” said Lakers Legend A.C. Green.

Each of the 400 children attending the Holiday of Hope event got to choose and take home his or her very own, age-appropriate gift. Their families were also each given a $100 gift card.

The kids and families also enjoyed musical performances by the Great Oak High School Jazz Ensemble and Chaparral High School Performance Choirs, who generously donated their time to this event.

Pechanga also celebrated the second annual Tribal Holiday of Hope event the evening prior, for families from non-gaming, rural Tribes in east San Diego and Riverside Counties.