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After an extended closure of almost two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan casinos have begun the process of reopening their doors.
The closures resulted in millions of dollars in revenue losses for the state, corporate owners, local communities, tribes, and various other entities.
Despite the closure of the 26 casinos, they continued to positively influence their communities.
After their closure, numerous facilities generously contributed their surplus food to local food banks. To date, Michigan casinos have collectively donated approximately 58,150 pounds of food to support local organizations.
Below is a list of the efforts that Playinmichigan has collected. If you are aware of any additional ones, please contact Matt Schoch at [email protected], and we will make sure to include them in this report.
FireKeepers Casino
During the initial phase of the crisis, the Battle Creek casino generously contributed 7 tons of produce to the South Michigan Food Bank and actively engaged their team members in volunteering at the facility.
Bronson Battle Creek Hospital received a generous donation from the FireKeepers Casino facilities team, which included gloves, face masks, shoe guards, and body suits.
Four Winds Casinos
The Elder council members of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, who run Michigan’s three Four Winds Casinos, have dedicated their time to creating masks.
By Wednesday, the group had made and distributed nearly 1,400 face masks to safeguard the community, which included Pokagon Health Service staff and patients.
The casinos generously contributed 7,450 pounds of food, equivalent to 9 pallets, to organizations such as Feeding America, Cultivate Culinary, and local communities.
Greektown Casino-Hotel
Throughout the crisis, the roof marquee at the Penn National Gaming casino in Detroit has consistently showcased the encouraging message of ” #DETROITSTRONG.”
Detroit police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical professionals were generously offered free rooms from two complete floors of Greektown Casino-Hotel as a donation.
Gun Lake Casino
The team members of Gun Lake Casino collectively gathered and packed a total of almost 7 tons of food, which was then distributed to various local organizations including Exodus Place, Dégagé Ministries, Feeding America West Michigan, and Hand2Hand.
The operations team at the Wayland facility generously contributed wipes, gloves, and hand sanitizer pumps to support law enforcement workers and other individuals in Allegan County.
Island Resort and Casino
Feeding America organized a drive-thru mobile pantry at the Island Resort and Casino parking lot, generously hosted by the Harris casino.
Leelanau Sands and Turtle Creek casinos
Residents in need received over 7,000 pounds of food donated by Grand Traverse Resort and Casinos via the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians food pantries.
As reported by The Ticker, the band generously donated 1,000 lanyards for face masks to be utilized at Munson Healthcare in Roscommon and Grayling Community Health Centers. Additionally, they contributed 350 decks of cards to Grayling Elementary School, which were included in STEM student learning kits for at-home use.
MGM Grand Detroit
Forgotten Harvest was gifted over 9,700 pounds of food by MGM Grand Detroit, while medical supplies were donated to Beaumont Health Foundation and Detroit Medical Center hospitals.
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According to FOX2, local chefs have prepared a total of 21,000 meals for local residents using the food donated by the casino.
MotorCity Casino
Forgotten Harvest received a generous donation from the Detroit casino, which consisted of over 5,000 pounds of food neatly stacked on 23 pallets shortly after the establishment closed its doors.
In an effort to ensure the safety of Detroit Department of Transportation drivers, MotorCity Casino generously contributed 6,000 sanitizing wet wipes and 8,000 vinyl gloves to the city of Detroit.
After learning about the nurses’ request at Henry Ford Health System, the casino generously contributed 2,736 decks of playing cards to assist COVID-19 patients in passing the time during their rehabilitation.
Odawa Casinos
Odawa Casinos have made generous contributions by donating approximately 1,000 pounds of food, estimated to be worth around $10,000, to various organizations and groups. These beneficiaries include the Manna Food Project, the Petoskey Schools lunch program, Villa Assisted Living, and the Little Traverse Bay Band tribal elders.
Every Friday, the Petoskey location organized a drive-thru food pantry where the Manna Food Project provided food assistance specifically for hospitality and service workers. A total of 150 families received food distribution during this event.
Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort
After a dam failure this week, the town of Midland, located 25 miles east of the Mount Pleasant resort, is currently facing severe flooding. The Mount Pleasant resort, being the largest tribal casino in the state, remains unaffected by the flooding.
This week, The Retreat at Soaring Eagle was opened by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, as reported by The Morning Sun. The purpose of this initiative is to provide assistance to displaced guests.
The newspaper also recognized Soaring Eagle and Resort for their contribution of blankets, pillows, and sheets to the flood victims at the West Midland Family Center in Shepherd.
