Photo by Robert A. Bell
MILWAUKEE (Dec., 2014) – Potawatomi Hotel & Casino donated $1,035,789 to 30 local children’s charities tonight through its Miracle on Canal Street program. This marks the second straight year the program has surpassed the $1 million mark in fund raising.
The 30 Miracle on Canal Street charities each received $34,526, which was announced during Friday’s grand finale. Twenty of those organizations were randomly selected for the program in November.
They joined 10 signature charities previously selected by the Casino’s media partners in August.
“What an amazing gift to the community. It’s certainly a blessing to be participating in Miracle on Canal Street,” said Scott McLellan, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha. “Potawatomi Hotel & Casino plays a vital role in funding charitable organizations that focus on the needs of children in southeastern Wisconsin.”
Since its inception in 1994, the Miracle on Canal Street program has made 582 donations totaling more than $14.6 million to fund children’s programs throughout southeastern Wisconsin.
“Raising $1 million is truly a testament to the generosity of our bingo guests and the hard work of our employees here at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino,” said Melanie Martin, the property’s bingo director.
“It is always a joy to announce that fund-raising total and see the happiness in the faces of our charity representatives – those who are doing a fabulous job providing basic, but necessary, services for youth in our community.”
The 30 organizations that received a $34,526 donation from Potawatomi Hotel & Casino include:
•Advocates of Ozaukee, Saukville
•Audio & Braille Literacy Enhancement, Milwaukee
• Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin, Wauwatosa
•Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, Milwaukee, presented by Lamar Outdoor
• Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, Kenosha
•Broadscope Disability Services, Milwaukee
•Caledonia Conservancy, Ltd., Racine
•Central City Churches, Inc. Outreach Ministries, Milwaukee
• Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, presented by Clear Channel Outdoor
• Danceworks, Inc., Milwaukee
• Discovery World, Milwaukee
• Diverse & Resilient, Milwaukee
•First Stage, Milwaukee, presented by the Milwaukee Business Journal
•Focus on Community, Racine
•Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
•La Causa, Inc., Milwaukee
• Make-A-Wish Wisconsin, Butler, presented by the Milwaukee Journal Sentine
l •Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club – America SCORES Milwaukee, Milwaukee
• Next Door, Milwaukee
•Old World Wisconsin Foundation, Eagle
•Penfield Children’s Center, Milwaukee, presented by Milwaukee Radio Group
•Parents Place, Inc., Waukesha
•Peace Learning Center of Milwaukee, Milwaukee
• Safe Babies Healthy Families, Waukesha, presented by Journal Broadcast Group
•Sojourner Family Peace Center, Milwaukee, presented by Entercom Radio
•Starting Point of Ozaukee, Inc., Grafton
• The Parenting Network, Milwaukee, presented by WITI Fox 6
• USO of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, presented by iHeartMedia-Milwaukee
•VSA Wisconsin, Milwaukee
•Wisconsin Humane Society, Milwaukee, presented by Weigel Broadcasting/ CBS 58
Miracle on Canal Street is the Casino’s signature charitable program. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for children in southeastern Wisconsin.
“Since the founding of our chapter, we’ve been able to grant wishes to more than 5,000 area children with life-threatening medical conditions,” said Patti Gorsky, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish® Wisconsin. “The funds we receive from this year’s Miracle on Canal Street will continue to help us bring hope, strength and joy to children facing tough circumstances.”
Miracle on Canal Street funds are raised primarily through special Miracle bingo games played during every bingo session.
The entire Casino gets involved in making this program a success.
Those efforts included the property’s Food & Beverage Department, which designated a percentage of its beer sales to Miracle; and the Table Games Department which held a Miracle poker tournament with all funds going to the program.
Eligible charities applied for Miracle on Canal Street during a call for entry period which closed in June.
Eligible organizations must have 501(c) (3) status, serve a primary client base of children younger than 18 and be located within Milwaukee, Racine, Washington, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Dodge, Jefferson, Kenosha, Sheboygan or Walworth counties. Potawatomi Hotel & Casino continues to make a significant positive economic impact on both the state and local communities through job creation, revenue sharing and support of local charities and community organizations.
“Caring for the Community” is a component of the Casino’s mission and one of five key areas of focus that serve as the base for the Casino’s social responsibility efforts entitled Building on a Tradition of Responsibility.