Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Casinos support charities

ATLANTIC CITY -- At Resorts Atlantic City, they're donating items to families with seriously ill children.

At Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, employees are passing the sack around to collect toys for poor families.

At Tropicana Casino and Resort, they're staging a penny auction to raise money for the families of the men killed or injured in the Oct. 30 collapse of a parking garage.

In a city more famous for taking, the shoe goes on the other foot at Christmastime: Casinos and their employees give back, buying gifts for needy children, supporting charities and other making other contributions to the less fortunate.

"It just gives me such a sense of accomplishment, to provide something to people who need something special at this time of year," said Kathleen Phelan, a call center manager at Resorts.

At most casinos, it's the employees who spearhead the holiday charity work.

At Resorts, employees collect "wish list" items for donation to the Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey, providing kitchen supplies, blankets, DVDs and video games to the families of seriously ill children who stay at the Camden house.

A bin set up in the employee cafeteria collects unwrapped gifts that have been identified as high-priority items by the Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey, located in Camden.

The items go to support the families of seriously ill children who stay at the Camden facility while a child is getting medical treatment.

On Friday, it contained packages of mattress pads, a tin of Famous Moravian Cookies, a couple of teddy bears and a large bottle of laundry detergent, among other things.

"Resorts has been a friend of the Ronald McDonald house for a number of years, helping in a variety of ways," said Teddy Thomas, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House. "The wish list drive is a way for them to help, not just at the holidays but anytime. It's helpful to all the families through the year, whether it's a warm blanket or a toaster oven or paper products, it helps us take care of the families."

At Donald Trump's casinos, employees adopt families or children recommended by a local charity and then buy Christmas gifts for them. Last year, 453 children got gift-wrapped presents bought by employees at Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza and Trump Marina, according to Taj Mahal plumber Joseph Hoskins, who runs the holiday program.

Begun eight years ago, it obtains the names of needy families and children in the greater Atlantic City area from social service providers and then assigns one per participating employee.

Hoskins, 53, started the program eight years ago in response to needs he saw every day coming into and out of Atlantic City to work.

"You go into these neighborhoods and you see these kids and they look needy. I just though it might be a good thing, to give something back," Hopkins said.

About 500 employees in the three casinos participate.

"The employees love doing it. They come to me every year and ask, 'When are we going to start?' " Hoskins said.

Harrah's Entertainment, which runs the Harrah's Atlantic City and Showboat casinos, hand delivered turkeys to several community organizations, including the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, the Salvation Army and a soup kitchen run by former casino chef "Sister" Jean Webster.

Harrah's also donated nearly $11,000 worth of checks and ShopRite gift certificates to the Friends of Jean Webster, the group that underwrites Webster's efforts at the First Presbyterian Church in Atlantic City.

In addition, Harrah's employees organized an effort to adopt three Atlantic City families and supply more than 100 Christmas gifts to them, wrapping and delivering them to the Salvation Army to give out.

"Our philosophy is to assist those right in our neighborhood and we manage this throughout the year, and especially during the holidays, with both in-kind and monetary contributions," said Harrah's spokeswoman Susan Kotzen.

At the Tropicana Casino and Resort, the focus this year is on the victims of the parking garage collapse.

The casino hosted a penny auction to raise money for the South Jersey Building Trades Victims Fund, which was set up after the tragedy to benefit the families of victims.

The auction, held over a two-week period in the casino's employee cafeteria, encouraged employees to buy tickets for $1 apiece and then place them in boxes alongside about 90 gifts bought by the casino.

Random drawings were then conducted at each box, with one ticket being selected. The person whose ticket was picked got the gift. The prizes included televisions, DVD players and other pricey appliances.

Employees were encouraged to buy as many tickets as they could, with price breaks as an incentive. For $5, they got 10 tickets. For $50, they got 150.

Whatever amount the employees raised, the Tropicana agreed to match, with the entire amount going to the victims fund, according to Tropicana spokeswoman Maureen Siman.

The casino participates in other holiday charity efforts, but like competitor Park Place Entertainment -- which owns three casinos here -- it won't discuss them publicly.

"We do a lot. But whether it's the Rescue Mission or other organizations, our policy is not to publicly make a statement about how much we've done or what we've done," Siman said. "Otherwise, what's the point of it? We don't do it to get publicity."

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