Ute Mountain Casino Kicks Off The Holiday Season With A Drive-Up Thanksgiving Meal Distribution

TOWAOC, Colo. (November 24, 2021) – For the 2nd year in a row, Ute Mountain Casino Hotel (UMC) presented tribal members and government employees with a full thanksgiving dinner including all the side dishes to kick off the 2021 holiday season. More than 2,000 meals were prepared and packaged by UMC team members at a drive-up distribution of the seasonal meal.

What started originally as a humble way to help Ute Mountain tribal members has expanded into an annual distribution of thanksgiving meals to provide holiday cheer to others including tribal government workers who help the local community.

"I am tremendously proud to be able to give during the holiday season, especially when we are still impacted by the pandemic," said Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Chairman Manuel Heart. "This annual tradition warms not only our hearts but also helps brighten our community with some much-needed holiday cheer."

"We are grateful to our Chairman that we can be in a position to provide some goodness to our tribal members and our community," Rick Scheer, General Manager of Ute Mountain Casino Hotel. "The outpouring of teamwork to prepare these meals together was amazing and I applaud our team members for stepping up to do so." Over 100 UMC and tribal government employees helped cook, prepare, and distribute over 2,000 meals.

Led by the Director of Food and Beverage, Charles Gewlas, the staff put together individually wrapped dinners for all tribal member and government employees to enjoy. The thanksgiving meal included:

• Traditional Slow Roasted Turkey

• Homemade Stuffing

• Apricot Glazed Ham

• Sweet Candied Yams

• Delectable Mashed Potatoes

• Steamed Vegetables

• Sweet Pumpkin Pie for Dessert

For more information about Ute Mountain Casino Hotel, please call 1-800-258-8007 or visit utemountaincasino.com.

About Ute Mountain Casino Hotel

Beneath the expansive western sky in Colorado lies the Ute Mountain Casino Hotel, the State's first Tribal gaming facility and your Four Corners Connection! Nestled in the shadow of the legendary Sleeping Ute Mountain and just 20 minutes from the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park, the Ute Mountain Casino Hotel and Resort offers Southwestern hospitality, friendly faces, great food and lots of gaming excitement! The Hotel has 90 rooms including suites with an indoor swimming pool, hot tub and state-of-the-art workout facility to enjoy. Live Table games from Blackjack to Roulette and all the latest and greatest Slots. There is also a large Bingo Hall and area favorite Kuchu's restaurant on premises. Sleeping Ute RV Park and a full-service 24-hour Travel Center including fuel/diesel and a convenience store are located right next door. Groups welcome! Connect with us on Facebook and at: http://www.utemountaincasino.com.