CHANDLER, AZ – Each year, Gila River Resorts & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte, and Vee Quiva select four non-profits to be the beneficiary of the Everi Cares Kiosk donation program. Over the last year, Gila River guests donated $173,751 to four local non-profits, including Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona, Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation, Special Olympics Arizona and Homeless Youth Connection.Â
Everi Cares is a charitable giving application programmed into the kiosks on the casino floors that provides guests the opportunity to donate to non-profits from their winning ticket vouchers.
This year’s recipients and how much money each non-profit received included:
Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona (Phoenix): $33,360
Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona uses art as a therapeutic tool to help and heal abused and homeless children. Free Arts is the only non-profit organization in Maricopa County delivering creative and therapeutic arts programs at no charge to participants or partner social service agencies, to vulnerable children, ages 3 to 21 years. Since its inception, the organization has served more than 120,000 children. Each year, Free Arts and its 800 dedicated volunteers serve more than 8,000 children at 100+ sites run by a network of 40+ agency partners.
Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation (Phoenix): $43,540
More than 26 children will enter foster care in Arizona every day. Many times, they come with little more than the clothes on their back or what they can carry in a trash bag. Although they come from all backgrounds, every child who comes into foster care has one thing in common: a story of abuse or neglect. The Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation funds activities to help children learn a new skill, play a new sport, meet a new friend and have the childhood they deserve.
Special Olympics Arizona (Goodyear): $46,488
Special Olympics Arizona’s (SOAZ) goal is to empower the over 180,000 Arizonans with intellectual disabilities to be healthy, productive, and respected members of society through SOAZ’s year-round sports training, competitions and support programs. The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
Homeless Youth Connection (Avondale): $50,362
Homeless Youth Connection’s (HYC) mission is to eliminate barriers to graduation for homeless youth and create lasting solutions for a successful future through community support and increased awareness. HYC serves homeless youth ages 13-19 who attend local high schools. Youth are provided with basic necessities, case management, housing, and mentors to ensure they have the resources and life skills to stay in school and complete their education. Along with educators, government agencies, faith-based organizations, and compassionate community members and donors, HYC is helping bring a positive future to this nearly forgotten population.
Gila River Resorts & Casinos was the first gaming enterprise in Arizona to launch this unique charitable giving application in October 2019. This month, four new non-profits were added to the Kiosk program, including Eve’s Place, Florence Crittenton, Gabriel’s Angels and Not My Kid.