It is the season of giving and Tioga Downs Casino Resort in Nichols, New York, is once again proving a key partner to local non-profit organizations. On Giving Tuesday, the gaming establishment revealed that it has awarded US$1.5 million in grants to 100 local non-profits throughout the Southern Tier via the Tioga Downs Regional Community Foundation.
Tioga Downs is a top gaming resort in the Southern Tier and it is equipped with over 890 slots, 29 table games, and six poker tables. But the property is also home to a historic 5/8-mile harness racing track which hosts many exciting events every year. In addition to that, visitors can also enjoy one of its four restaurants, including the popular P.J. Clarke’s.
Giving Back Tuesday
In a special ceremony held on Giving Tuesday at the casino resort, recipients of the grants via the Tioga Downs Regional Community Foundation were announced to the public. At the event, non-profit groups from Chemung, Tioga, Broome, and Bradford counties were highlighted for their initiative in addressing and combating local poverty and community deterioration.
Owner of the gambling resort, Jeff Gural, commented that via the experiences shared by award winners, the gaming property is now looking forward to the ripple effects triggered by these grants and making a real difference in the community. He added that there are numerous organizations doing amazing work, and the grants should be able to magnify their impact.
In a press release, the casino said its foundation is devoted to promoting economic and community development via supporting organizations that contribute to charitable, religious, literary, scientific, and educational undertakings in the target counties. The foundation receives hundreds of applications every year, and it tries to donate to as many groups as possible.
The resort’s press further read that Mr. Gural’s pledge to boost the grant funding to US$2 million next year and in 2025 further underlines the foundation’s commitment to delivering positive change. This objective is made possible via the casino resort and the foundation’s continued community support, said the press release.
In comparison last year, Tioga Downs Regional Community Foundation was able to deliver over US$1.1 million in grants which were awarded to a total of 54 non-profit organizations. It was a new record for the foundation, which has been shattered this year, as the organization was able to deliver more money to an even greater number of recipients in the region.
Supporting Local Veterans Too
Earlier this year, the casino resort in Nichols, New York, also made a significant contribution to the Southern Tier Veterans Support Group. Representatives of the casino handed a cheque worth US$128,000 to the organization, which is a non-profit organization headquartered in Vestal and as the name suggests, it supplies various resources to veterans, service members, and military families.
Source: McDonald, Pat “Tioga Downs awards $1.5 million to nonprofits on Giving Tuesday” My Hometown Today, November 28, 2023