The Sands casino hotel closed in Atlantic City about 5 weeks ago. What, you may wonder, happens to a company’s philanthropic projects when it folds? In this case, another casino steps in to pick up the slack. From the AC Press:
There was plenty to cheer about Tuesday afternoon as residents of the Eastern Pines Convalescent Center got together to celebrate the birthdays of those born in December.
Representatives of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa brought a large sheet cake that had been baked in the pastry shop and a check for $8,500 — enough to give each of the 165 residents $50 for holiday gifts.
The residents, wearing red Santa hats, sang Christmas songs as they ate the cake and ice cream. Even Gilligan the therapy dog wore a festive red sweater as he wandered the room in search of treats.
Just a few short months ago, the picture at Eastern Pines was much bleaker. The Sands Casino Hotel, which had adopted the nursing home as a community-service project for the past 10 years, had announced it was closing. And despite reaching out to several other gaming halls, the home on Vermont Avenue couldn’t find another sponsor.
The Borgata heard about the nursing home’s plight and decided to come to the rescue, said Auggie Cipollini, senior vice president and chief administrative officer. The Borgata Heart and Soul Foundation was looking for community projects to support, “and the best way to do it was to pick up where the Sands left off,” he said.
…
The Borgata wasn’t the only casino to come through in the Eastern Pines’ hour of need.Representatives of the Tropicana Casino and Resort came to lunch last week and presented each resident with a holiday ornament, Administrator Jennifer Hess said.
The now-closed Sands was once the benefactor of the Eastern Pines nursing home in Atlantic City.
Back in the day, the Sands adopted Atlantic City High School. I don’t remember exactly what we got, but I do remember getting a nice rejection letter when I applied for a summer job at the casino after my freshman year in college. So much for being part of the family. I was better off waiting a two years and then applying for a high-profile job in security at the Taj. You know, I actually had to write an essay about why I wanted to be a security officer for Donald Trump to get that job. If I ever get the chance to do a collection of my assorted writings (i.e., my stuff for the LVBP, op-eds, and reviews), I’ll have to call up Trump human resources and get a copy of that. If memory serves, I think my main reason was to “help people.” If I had only known that I’d mostly be helping people find the three B’s–buffets, bathrooms, and buses.
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Site note: Next week, I’ll be immersing myself in research on not one, but TWO book projects, so I will likely not be posting much. Enjoy the weekend, and have a Happy Life Day!