Atlantic City, NJ — The Atlantic City casino industry is embracing the spirit of giving this holiday season through its support of local community organizations, fundraisers, volunteerism, and donations. The industry partners with numerous charities at the local, state, and national level to address key issues including food insecurity, homelessness, youth support, education, family services, and health and wellness.
“The casino industry is deeply rooted in Atlantic City, and we are committed to giving back to the community where we live and work, especially during the holiday season,” said Mark Giannantonio, president, Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ). “The Atlantic City casino industry works to maintain a season of giving all year long. Philanthropy is a top priority, and we are so proud of our team members who donate their time and resources to support a variety of causes and organizations each and every day.”
Atlantic City casinos collectively assist the greater Atlantic City region by supporting local churches, organizations, and charities in the region, including:
Bally’s Atlantic City
- Adopt a Family Program: Bally’s teamed up with the Salvation Army to help provide gifts to local families in need during the Holiday season.
- Adopt an Elder Program: Bally’s teamed up with Preferred Care of Absecon to help provide gifts to some of their residents who are without family and friends during the holiday season by providing some holiday cheer and gifts from their wish lists.
- Angel Tree: Bally’s joined with the Salvation Army to help provide gifts to local children in need during the holiday season with our Angel Tree. The Angel Tree contained Angel tags with a child’s name and wish list, and Bally’s team members helped brighten their holidays.
- St. Jude Donation: Bally’s Atlantic City has embraced the spirit of giving by donating $1,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This festive contribution underscores Bally’s dedication to making a positive impact in the community and supporting essential healthcare initiatives. St. Jude is renowned for its groundbreaking research and treatment of pediatric catastrophic diseases, and donations like this help ensure that families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food. By supporting St. Jude’s mission, Bally’s Atlantic City is helping to bring hope and joy to children and their families during this special time of year.
Borgata Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
- Hope for the Holidays: Borgata is proud to support the Hope for the Holidays event in Atlantic County by collecting gifts throughout December to bring joy to local families in need. In addition to the generous donations, Borgata employees will also volunteer their time at the event, helping to spread holiday cheer and strengthen community bonds. This initiative reflects Borgata’s ongoing commitment to giving back and making a positive impact during the holiday season.
- Boys & Girls Club Holiday Party: Borgata is excited to contribute to the Boys & Girls Club Holiday Party this December, bringing sweet holiday cheer to the celebration. Borgata employees will volunteer their time at the event, hosting a festive “make-your-own” hot chocolate bar and a delightful cookie-making station crafted by Borgata’s Bake Shop. These activities aim to create joyful memories for the students and showcase Borgata’s dedication to supporting the local community.
Caesars Entertainment’s Atlantic City Resorts
- Partnered with The Salvation Army to serve Thanksgiving dinner and provided warm clothing such as coats and vests to over 200 individuals experiencing homelessness in the community.
- As part of the Gifts of Light program, Team Members delivered gifts to three local nursing homes. The program’s objective is to make sure every elder living in long-term care feels the magic of the holiday season.
- Partnered with Community FoodBank of New Jersey – Southern Branch to collect donations outside of ACME stores, gathered over 2 pallets of dry food and 25 frozen turkeys.
- This year, Caesars, Harrah’s Resort, and Tropicana Atlantic City donated over $330,000 to local organizations through our regional corporate giving initiatives, while also offering boots-on-the-ground assistance through our Team Member volunteer efforts.
- On December 11, Caesars Entertainment’s Atlantic City Resorts – Caesars, Harrah’s Resort, and Tropicana – presented the Marine Corps with over 200 bikes, 20 boxes of toys, and a $5,000 monetary donation to their Toys for Tots program. Photos here.
- On the same morning as the Toys for Tots presentation, Caesars presented the American Cancer Society with a $96,000 monetary donation as part of our Men Wear Pink Campaign efforts. Photos here.
Golden Nugget Atlantic City
- ARC of Atlantic County: Golden Nugget is proud to have our AGM and VP of Resort Operations serve as a board member for the ARC of Atlantic County. ARC provides a vast array of services to members of our community so they can work, play, and live their life to the fullest. Golden Nugget provides numerous sponsorships to their events throughout the year as well as serve as the host to a major fundraiser during the summer.
- Furniture Giveaway: Golden Nugget teamed up with Mayor Marty Small to give back to the residents of Atlantic City through our Furniture Giveaway Event. Golden Nugget is currently undergoing an extensive Hotel Room Renovation project and decided to generously donate all slightly used furniture from our hotel to the residents of Atlantic City who have had a direct impact on the success of Golden Nugget through their loyalty to both dedicated employees and patrons. The event was held over 2 days and was a great success.
- Pinktober: During the month of October Golden Nugget ran the Men Wear Pink Campaign and Pink Drink Campaign, to help raise funds and awareness for Breast Cancer Research. Collectively both campaigns raised over $3,600 in donations. All proceeds benefited the American Cancer Society.
- St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church of Atlantic City: Celebrating 100 years in our great city, Golden Nugget partnered with St. Nicholas to host a fundraising concert. Through efforts by both Golden Nugget and Church leaders the concert raised funds for the church to help cover basic expenses and the ability to remain open and functioning for our community.
- CASA: Golden Nugget’s annual donation to CASA is most important as we hope to help shape the leaders of our community through love, family and education! CASA for Children recruits, trains, and supports citizen-volunteers who advocate on behalf of children in our community who are in foster care. A child with a CASA volunteer is: Twice as likely to be adopted, then to linger in long-term foster care, half as likely to re-enter the foster care system, more likely to have a plan for finding a permanent home, and more likely to have better educational achievement
- CODI – Career Opportunity Development, Inc: As a company we know, our differences are the one thing we all have in common. In the spirit of giving, Golden Nugget has prepared and served a holiday feast for all individuals involved with CODI! Highlighting CODI’s Vision Statement all year long, but especially this time of year. People of diverse backgrounds and experiences work together to foster inclusive communities where differently abled individuals can work or volunteer, live in a safe and comfortable home, recognize their value and worth, and feel empowered to make a positive impact.
- HOPE Foundation: Ease financial burden and help lift the spirits of those in need. A mission statement that Golden Nugget truly believes in which is why we have provided sponsorship to the Hope Foundation’s Holiday Benefit to help provide assistance to those within our community who need it most.
- Employee Recognition: In honor of the holidays Golden Nugget recognizes all of our hard-working employees with Employee Appreciation Day. Employee Appreciation Day is filled with Employee Shopping, a lavish spread provided by our Culinary Team and Bake Shop, and topped off with Our Executive Team personally thanking each employee for their dedication all year long by awarding them with a Holiday Gift Card.
Golden Nugget partners with the following companies during the Season of Giving and throughout the year:
- Shore Medical Center
- AtlantiCare Medical Center
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
Hard Rock Atlantic City Kicks Off “12 Days of Giving” With Over $50,000 In Donations To Local Charitable Organizations
- Hard Rock Atlantic City and the Boardwalk 1000 Foundation celebrated National Giving Day by donating $10,000 to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. This donation marked the start of Hard Rock Atlantic City’s “12 Days of Giving” campaign during which funds and services totaling more than $50,000 will be donated to 12 local organizations.
- These organizations include: Covenant House Atlantic City, Kelly’s Kidz, Live to Serve, Holidays for Heroes’ Shop with a Cop, ARC of Atlantic County, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Atlantic County Toys for Kids, Garden State Equality, Atlantic City Rescue Mission, Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City, and Jewish Family Services.
- Hard Rock Atlantic City has donated to more than 500 charities since opening in 2018 supporting the company’s motto to Love all – Serve All.
Ocean Casino Resort
Ocean’s Cares’ Season of Giving
- Returning for its fourth year, Ocean Cares’ Season of Giving will recognize and assist local charities impacting multiple causes of community concern – including food insecurity, homelessness, youth support, education, family services, and health and wellness.
- Throughout the year, monetary donations totaling over $250,000 in addition to more than 500 team member volunteer hours comprise Ocean’s CSR efforts, including supplementary philanthropic support given through on-property programs, local events and gift donations, from both team members and Ocean guests.
- On December 18, Ocean Casino Resort will mobilize its talented culinary lineup to team up with teens from the Boys & Girls Club for a cooking class where they will prepare and deliver meals to homeless and at-risk youth at the local Atlantic City Covenant House.
- Ocean Casino Resort team members have been donating winter accessories – like gloves, socks, hats, and scarves – for a drive that benefits organizations assisting the homeless community in Atlantic City: Adelaide’s Place, AMVETS Post 911 and AC Rescue Mission. Additionally, in partnership with Salvation Army, Ocean team members have been fulfilling gift wishes for disadvantaged children in Atlantic City by purchasing over 300 gifts donated.
Ocean Cares is partnering with the following list of local organizations for this year’s Seasons of Giving program:
- AC Rescue Mission
- Adelaide’s Place
- AMVETS Post 911
- Angels in Motion
- AtlantiCare Pediatric Unit
- Atlantic County Toys for Kids
- Avanzar
- The Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City
- Community Foodbank in Egg Harbor Township
- Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA)
- Covenant House
- Egg Harbor Township Police Athletic League – Shop with a Hero
- FACES 4 Autism
- Oceanside Family Success Center
- South Jersey Field of Dreams
- The Salvation Army
For more information about Ocean Cares, go to: theoceanac.com/ocean-cares.
Resorts Casino Hotel
- Resorts Casino Hotel hosts an employee toy drive each December for the Atlantic County Chapter of Toys for Tots. Over 100 new toys are expected to be collected. On Friday, December 6, Resorts sponsored the variety show, Swing into Christmas by providing the Superstar Theater free of charge. Lots of seasonal songs and dances were performed by a lineup of Atlantic City’s Greatest Stars! The show has been held at Resorts for 10+ years and admission is free to anyone that brings a new, unwrapped toy. All the collected gifts are donated to Toys for Tots and the show is considered their largest event in southern New Jersey.
- Resorts sponsors the Annual Polar Bear Plunge, “Freezin’ for a Reason” every New Year’s day. Proceeds from the event raise funds for the Cancer Support Community at Gilda’s Club. Resorts also donates 250 event branded long sleeve tee shirts that are sold to raise additional funds.
- Resorts is collecting slot cash voucher donations for the Atlantic City Salvation Army through the holiday season. The chapter offers both church and social services to those in need who live in Atlantic City, Brigantine, Longport, Margate City and Ventnor.
- Every holiday season Resorts implements Operation Christmas Spirit where departments adopt team members who have financial challenges. Team members provide a list of gifts their child would like to receive, and Resorts does their best to purchase the desired items. This year, 7 team members applied with a total of 16 children to adopt.
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About the Casino Association of New Jersey
The Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ) is a trade organization that provides a collective voice for the Atlantic City casino industry by facilitating the exchange of information and ideas between our industry, small businesses, Atlantic City stakeholders and the general public. The CANJ consistently advocates for legislation and initiatives that support the ongoing revitalization of Atlantic City into a world-class destination resort. A thriving casino industry drives economic growth, job creation, increased tax revenue for state and local budgets, and prosperity for city residents, hardworking families and businesses which rely on the casinos for their livelihood. Our goals are simple: protect and grow the tens of thousands of jobs the casino industry supports across New Jersey and continue Atlantic City’s transformation into a world-class destination resort. For additional information, please visit www.casinosnj.org.