At a holiday party in December, Florida Darr got a great lesson on how important volunteers like herself are to clients at the Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City.</p><p>&#8220;When we walked into the party, they all started clapping and yelling,&#8221; Darr said. &#8220;They were so excited. And then Santa Claus walked in and there was no response. I was so surprised, but it makes me feel so good.&#8221;</p><p>Darr is a dealer at Ameristar Kansas City Casino and Hotel and she was among a group of employees Thursday who donated a part of their day to celebrate Valentine&#8217;s Day with some of the institute&#8217;s clients. The Grandview resident gets so much from these parties that she is arranging to volunteer weekly at the institute.</p><p>The gambling company has an unusual relationship with the Rehabilitation Institute. Ameristar&#8217;s late founder, Craig Neilsen, was paralyzed in a car accident and built the company from a wheelchair. Supporting rehabilitation centers is a part of the Ameristar culture and when employees donate to these organizations, Ameristar and Neilsen&#8217;s foundation both match the donation.</p><p>That can create an impressive total. The Rehabilitation Institute has received $1 million in the past four years from Ameristar, its employees and Neilsen&#8217;s foundation. These gifts now outpace every other annual contribution to the institute.</p><p>Nielsen&#8217;s ability to build the company despite his disability isn&#8217;t lost on the employees.</p><p>&#8220;It proves that if you have vision you can overcome anything,&#8221; said Chet Koch, acting general manager for the company&#8217;s Kansas City operation.</p><p>Darr agreed.</p><p>&#8220;It was amazing what he could do in a wheelchair,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Ameristar employees&#8217; respect for those with disabilities isn&#8217;t lost on the clients, said Rick Ruhge, a former jockey who became a quadriplegic five years ago after a barn accident. The 37-year-old Smithville resident got physical and occupational therapy at the institute for three years. He still visits a psychologist there.</p><p>&#8220;You hope people see people with disabilities as people,&#8221; Ruhge said. &#8220;I think Mr. Neilsen opened the eyes of a lot of people.&#8221;</p><p>The Ameristar donations go to medical rehabilitation services, said Dana Chatlin, the institute&#8217;s director of external affairs. She said it helps provide these services to many people who are without health insurance.</p><p>In addition, a grant from Ameristar allows people from the institute&#8217;s sheltered workshop to go to a work training program at Harvesters, the area&#8217;s food bank.</p><p>&#8220;That wouldn&#8217;t happen without Ameristar,&#8221; Chatlin said.</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="infobox-head">The details </span></strong><br /> For more information about the Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City, go to <a href="http://www.rehabkc.org">www.rehabkc.org</a>. For more information about the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, go to <a href="http://chnfoundation.org/">http://chnfoundation.org/</a>.</p><p></div> <hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> Good for &#8230; The employees at Barkley, a local advertising agency, who made 116 scarves, gloves and hats for clients of the City Union Mission. The firm paid for the yarn and supplies, as well as a lunch Thursday for about 500 folks at the mission&#8217;s family and men&#8217;s shelters.</p><p></div>