Hannah Keith took a few minutes to chat with Santa Monday at Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park, explaining to him her dilemma surrounding her two missing front teeth. Below, her sister, Halie Keith, watches as park employee Linda Groce, helped her with her new gift, a new doll. The two girls were among a group from Clinton County that enjoyed a special morning of activities hosted by park employees Monday.

Dale Hollow State Resort Park

employees make the holiday season brighter for deserving Clinton youth

The reason for the season is definitely here in the eyes of the employees and staff at Dale Hollow State Park. Monday, several staff members were on hand to distribute Christmas presents to 20 young students from the Clinton County School System.

These youth were hand selected by the staff at the Family Resource Center located inside the Albany Elementary School.

As the kids walked into the dining area at the park, employees, dressed up as elves, escorted the students to a group of tables with crayons and paper and the task at hand was to decorate their own elf hat.

Midway through the crafts project, a loud voice came over the intercom system with the famous words of Old St. Nick.

“HO HO HO,” Santa said loudly.

Immediately the children picked their heads up and smiled as they said “Santa” under their breath.

After a quick meet and greet, Santa sat in a chair next to the Christmas tree and called out the name of each child present. It was gift time!

Mike Lynn, Dale Hollow State Park Resort Director, said the employees at the park raise money and donate all year long in order to provide Christmas gifts to children.

This year, they decided to include Clinton County in their annual giving.

“We employ around 50 full time employees and 50 part-time employees which is seasonal and half of them are from Clinton County,” Lynn said. “Another thing we like to do, because we have such kind hearts here, we have gotten together and held yard sales, blue jean days, where the employees wear blue jeans and they pay to wear them for a fund raiser. We raise this money and the money came out of people’s hearts to donate towards gifts.”

Lynn said this project couldn’t be possible with out the employees at the park.

“The program itself is just giving kids Christmas. The one thing I think, that a lot of people don’t realize, is, the greatest gift of God is a child. We started this with Cumberland County about six years ago and there was a need in that county. We started it with the after school program there and it wasn’t just the after school program, it was kids with special needs.” Lynn, said.

Dale Hollow State Resort Park is situated in both Cumberland and Clinton counties. Lynn said it is about half and half in each county and about half of their staff is from Clinton County.

Lynn said the employees don’t pick which kids come to the park, but he is hoping the facility will make an impression on them.

“Chances are they have never even been here before and experienced the lodge and the atmosphere and they are going to have milk and cookies and get to meet Santa,” Lynn said. “This is the first year the employees were able to work and buy gifts for the kids. I think our messages is every child is a gift from God and that child deserves a gift … whether they are an infant or they are 16 years old. They are still a child. That’s what we want. We are not looking for exposure. We are just looking to do something good for both counties.”

“The employees out here are very proud of where they live and work,” Lynn said. “It’s enjoyment. The other thing is the act of giving. It doesn’t matter who’s child it is, what county they are from … our message is also that the employees out here want to give back to the children in their county. They have more of a sense of pride if it’s a child from their county.”

Other than receiving gifts and milk and cookies, Lynn said the children will get to see the lodge while it is decorated for the Christmas holiday. He is hoping to make a good impression on the children and hopes they enjoy the scenery.

“Our employees get into decorating for Christmas. The lodge is really decked out,” Lynn said. “Hopefully they will go home and will tell their parents because you don’t actually have to have a lot of money to come out here. The park is free. Taxpayers support this park. It doesn’t cost to come out and see the lodge and the decorations. We have modest prices on the food … but you don’t have to spend any money to come and visit.”

Lynn said they do have services that they charge for, but the park is funded in part by taxpayers.

“We are supported by these kids’ moms and dads,” Lynn said. “We do get a lot of Clinton County folks who come out here and eat.”

Lynn said he hopes that exposing the children to this kind of event will make a lasting impression on them. One that will make a wonderful memory.

“There are impoverished kids all over the world, but when they are right in your back yard, I think that’s when you have more of a sense of giving and a sense of care,” Lynn said.

Even with the struggling economy, Lynn said the employees at Dale Hollow State Park have worked hard in order to raise money for these children.

“The employees that we have here all have families and with the rough economy and difficulty with saving money, I think it tells the kindness that comes from these employees,” Lynn said. “It’s tough on everybody right now, but we were able to do a couple of different things with raising money and I think the kids are going to do some crafts today and hopefully it will be a good turnout.”

Lynn said the program hasn’t been running long enough to see a long term effect, but he is hoping in two or three years he will see the fruits of their labors.

“One child in particular, she started out in the second grade and she has been coming every year,” Lynn said. “We haven’t been doing this long enough for the kids to come back and ask for a job, but we are getting to the point now where the 10 to 12 years olds who started out six years ago are old enough now to be out here asking for a job and I see that coming in the next couple of years.”

The idea to provide for both Cumberland and Clinton Counties snowballed from one of his previous jobs with the state park. Lynn said he has been with the state park as an employee for the past 20 years, the past eight at Dale Hollow.

“When I was at another park, we were in a similar situation. I dealt with the school groups and the Christian Appalachian Project,” Lynn said. “I began working with a lady in the Christian Appalachian Project and I started a coat and gift program. When I came here, I kind of brought that atmosphere, but the employees here are just very proud of where they work, so I just brought the idea and the employees implemented the idea and they took it and ran with it. If it wasn’t for them, this thing wouldn’t work.”