STATION CASINOS ANNOUNCES $160,000 DONATION TO THE PUBLIC
EDUCATION FOUNDATION AND THREE SQUARE FOOD BANK TO
SUPPORT LAS VEGAS’ CHILDREN
Station Casinos announced the donation of $160,000 to support both The Public Education Foundation’s distance learning initiatives and Three Square Food Bank’s “BackPack for Kids” childhood nutrition program. The donation exemplifies Station Casinos’ ongoing commitment and partnership to both organizations. This year marks the 20-year anniversary of Station Casinos’ “Smart Start” school program that supports some of the Clark County School District’s most in-need schools.
“The education, safety and wellbeing of our community’s citizens is always top of mind for Station Casinos, especially when it comes to the valley’s children,” said Bob Finch, Chief Operating Officer for Station Casinos. “During these trying times, our commitment to the community is stronger than ever and these funds will ensure that our Smart Start teachers and students are receiving the resources and nutrition they need to succeed.”
Three Square Food Bank
Station Casinos’ contribution of $50,000 will benefit Three Square’s BackPack for Kids program. One in three children in Southern Nevada is now living in a food-insecure household and during the school year, thousands are eligible for free and reduced-price meals through the Clark County School District. BackPack for Kids provides bags of nutritious, single-serving, ready-to-eat items to children who might otherwise go without on weekends, long breaks from school and during the summer months. This program is one of several under Three Square’s umbrella of childhood nutrition programs.
“Inadequate nutrition in childhood has been shown to have a debilitating effect on a child’s cognitive function, often leading to underperformance in school and lower academic achievement,” said Three Square Food Bank President and CEO Brian Burton. “Thanks to the incredible support from Station Casinos, Three Square is able to provide additional meals to children in need, ensuring they have the energy needed to continue growing and learning on weekends or long breaks from school.”
The Public Education Foundation
Station Casinos’ $110,000 contribution to The Public Education Foundation will help some of CCSD’s most at-risk schools participate in pioneering programs developed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic so teachers and parents can succeed in a digital learning environment.
The 11 elementary schools in the Smart Start program will have the opportunity to have parents participate in The Foundation’s virtual Family Learning Program, which provides parents with three weeks of instruction on commonly used technology platforms such as Canvas and Clever to close the digital divide faced by some parents. The program also provides tools to support student learning at home, and also how to work with their children on social-emotional concerns that are increasingly occurring as students learn at home.
The schools also will have the opportunity for teachers to participate in The Foundation’s new Digital Leadership Institute, which provides training on best practices to successfully engage students and families in distance learning. The program helps teachers create a child-focused online culture that promotes rigorous application of academic standards to real-world tasks. The Digital Leadership Institute also provides strategies and tools for effective communication in an online environment.
“We are grateful to Station Casinos for their long-term commitment to our public schools,” said Judi Steele, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Public Education Foundation. “This donation allows us to strengthen the home-school connection at a time when it is needed most.”
PEF Photo: (Center L to R) Vincent Barile, General Manager and Vice President at Green Valley Ranch, alongside his Team Members present a $110,000 check to Kirsten Searer, President of The Public Education Foundation
Three Square Photo: (Center L to R) Brian Burton, CEO of Three Square, Chris Gellner, Assistant General Manager and Brent Arena, General Manager and Vice President at Santa Fe Station alongside Team Members present a check for $50,000 at Texas Station, a Three Square food distribution site.
Courtesy of Station Casinos
About The Public Education Foundation
The Public Education Foundation (The Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded nearly 30 years ago by leaders from the public and private sectors who believed that improving our public schools was too big a task for a school district to take on alone. The Foundation’s mission is to improve student achievement by creating transformational change in teaching, learning, and educational leadership. At any given moment, thousands of Nevada’s children, families, and educators are benefiting from resources that The Foundation has strategically invested in schools, classrooms, and communities. Our flagship programs include the Leadership Institute of Nevada, which offers leadership academies and summits for high-achieving teachers and administrators; a collaboration with the community to award more than $2.8 million in scholarships each year; an innovative family engagement program that coaches parents how to support their children in school, especially utilizing digital learning; and the Teacher EXCHANGE®, a reuse and surplus resource center that provides much-needed new and gently used school supplies and materials for teachers.
For more information about The Foundation, please visit thepef.org. Follow us on
Facebook @ThePublicEducationFoundation and Twitter @ThePEFtoday.
About Three Square Food Bank
Three Square is Southern Nevada’s only food bank and largest hunger relief organization, serving Las Vegas and all of Clark, Lincoln, Esmeralda and Nye counties. Since opening in 2007, Three Square has provided more than 385 million pounds of food to hundreds of thousands of people in need and earned a reputation as one of the most efficient and effective food banks in the country. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Three Square immediately implemented a disaster response plan to answer sudden school and business closures, drastic declines in retail food donations, social distancing limitations on volunteer efforts, reduced on-site staff support, and the need for low-contact food distributions. Within days, Three Square had increased food distribution by 250,000 meals a week and increased the capacity of its Call Center to refer Southern Nevadans to available food resources, social services, and unemployment benefits. While Three Square’s COVID-19 relief efforts have superseded regular programs and operations for the foreseeable future, it is more committed than ever to its mission of providing wholesome food to hungry people, while passionately pursuing a hunger-free community. Three Square is a member of the Feeding America network of food banks. If you or someone you know needs food assistance, or wants to learn more about Three Square’s vision of a community where no one is hungry, please connect at threesquare.org, Facebook
(@ThreeSquareFoodBank), Instagram (threesquarelv) and Twitter (@threesquarelv).
About Station Casinos
Station Casinos LLC is the leading provider of gaming and entertainment to the residents of Las Vegas, Nevada. Station Casinos’ properties, which are located throughout the Las Vegas valley, are regional entertainment destinations and include various amenities, including numerous restaurants, entertainment venues, movie theaters, bowling and convention/banquet space, as well as traditional casino gaming offerings such as video poker, slot machines, table games, bingo and race and sports wagering. Station Casinos owns and operates Red Rock Casino Resort Spa, Green Valley Ranch Resort Spa Casino, Palms Casino Resort, Palace Station Hotel & Casino, Boulder Station Hotel & Casino, Sunset Station Hotel & Casino, Santa Fe Station Hotel & Casino, Texas Station Gambling Hall & Hotel, Fiesta Rancho Casino Hotel, Fiesta Henderson Casino Hotel, Wildfire Rancho, Wildfire Boulder, Wild Wild West Gambling Hall & Hotel, Wildfire Sunset, Wildfire Valley View, Wildfire Anthem and Wildfire Lake Mead. Station Casinos also owns a 50% interest in Barley’s Casino & Brewing Company, Wildfire Casino & Lanes and The Greens. In addition, Station Casinos is the manager of Graton Resort & Casino in northern California.
