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Caesars Entertainment
Penn Jillette with Opportunity Village drivers in front of the two vehicles purchased using a portion of the $250,000 donated by Caesars Foundation to Opportunity Village.
Monday, April 23, 2012 | 5:44 p.m.
Penn Jillette with Thom Reilly, executive director of Caesars Foundation, in front of the two vehicles purchased using a portion of the $250,000 donated by Caesars Foundation to Opportunity Village.
Donald Trump “fired” Penn Jillette on Sunday’s episode of “Celebrity Apprentice,” but the magician’s real employer made good on Jillette's promise to help a local charity.
The Caesars Foundation donated $250,000 — the amount Jillette would have secured had he won the show — to Opportunity Village, a Las Vegas nonprofit that serves people with intellectual disabilities.
“When I got pretend fired, my real bosses, the ones who really could fire me for real no-kidding, decided to give the full winning $250,000 to ‘my’ charity,” Jillette said. “I have the best bosses in the world.”
Penn and his silent partner, Teller, have headlined at the Rio for more than a decade. The Rio is owned by Caesars Entertainment. The Caesars Foundation is funded by operating income from Caesars Entertainment.
A portion of the donation was spent on a transit van that will shuttle Opportunity Village workers to Veteran Administration centers, as well as a mini-bus that will take volunteers to Three Square, the Las Vegas Mission and various city parks.
Money also will be used to expand Opportunity Village programs. The nonprofit provides vocational training, job support and recreational services to hundreds of clients.
Carnival lasts all year at the Rio. With a float occasionally passing overhead and dropping beads while feathered dancers fire up the gamblers below, the Rio tries to keep its 120,000-square foot casino jumping with excitement. Special Brazilian mixed-drinks are also served throughout the casino. The hotel suites tend to be larger than similar priced rooms on the Strip and many offer excellent views with floor to ceiling windows.
The Rio offers some quality shows like "Penn & Teller" and "Chippendales." Many come to the Rio for the nightlife at the VooDoo Lounge, located on the 51st floor, or McFadden's Irish Pub on the casino level.
Others come for a bit relaxation at the Rio Spa or pool area and still others come to shop at the hotel's 60,000 square feet of shops. In each of these endeavors, the Rio attempts to make the experience a bit more fun and spontaneous.
The Rio also offers guests a variety of dining choices from all-American food at the All-American Bar & Grille to Gaylord India Restaurant for something a little spicier and even Carnival World Buffet for the indecisive.
Say what you will, that's class.
Well done, Caesars and Penn Jillette.
Nice move by Caesars! Shows the big casino companies really do have a heart..we all knew that anyway.