| Casinos, due to the
nature of the business, have received a notorious reputation as
black holes. Many gamblers would testify to investing time and
dollars in a casino that were never seen again. To some degree, the
analogy is accurate. Nevertheless, there occasionally emerges a
story that rejects that myth.
On April 2nd, parts of
Caruthersville, Missouri fell victim to a tornado. As luck would
have it, local Casino Aztar managed to escape damage, that is, to
the casino’s physical structure. However, even the most
state-of-the-art casino is operated by its employees and 46 of
Casino Aztar’s 300 employees experienced storm damage to their
homes. Fifteen of the homes were decimated by the powerful storm
system. So, to pay back all of the time its employees have
dedicated to the casino’s efficient operations, Casino Aztar is
helping out its workers.
For almost a decade, David Ledford has
serviced Casino Aztar with his engineering skills. His testimonial
is one of a faithful employer who aided him and his family in the
face of fickle Mother Nature. Ledford recalls, “They got a team
together of 10 or so people. They helped me and my family for two
day. But, they were not only helping me, they were going all over
town.” Ledford lost almost everything to the storm.
Casino Aztar’s Marketing Manager, Lisa
McMahan, describes the shrewd planning of the casino, “We were able
to set up a fund for our employees to allow them to get cash and
area housing.” The casino even made plans for worker that had not
suffered property damage, after all, the still needed to earn a
living. While the casino was closed down for a few days, the casino
paid employees to aid the citizens of Caruthersville in clean up.
The Casino’s Expo Center has been ceded to the
Red Cross as a storage facility. According to McMahan’s estimation,
the casino has donated a ball park of $50,000 to Caruthersville
tornado relief.
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