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Caesars Entertainment Corporation (formerly Harrah's Entertainment, Inc.) has a commitment to its communities to help make them vibrant places to live and work. Caesars Code of Commitment outlines the basic tenets of its community involvement: - Conduct business with honesty and integrity, consistent with the highest moral, legal and ethical standards, complying with all applicable laws and regulations.
- Share financial success with the community by donating one percent of company profits to civic and charitable causes.
- Encourage employees to volunteer in civic and charitable causes.
Because it is owned by the Ak-Chin Indian Community, Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino Resort (HAC) commits itself to both the native community and the City of Maricopa through H.E.R.O. – Harrah's Entertainment Reaching Out. H.E.R.O. is an employee-based volunteer program in which volunteers make noteworthy, visible contributions to the community by lending their time, skills, expertise and caring to dozens of volunteer projects throughout the community.
How Our Volunteer Services Address A Specific Need In The Community:
HAC employees fill needs in the community by volunteering in projects – some that require mere minutes; some are ongoing – that contribute to the overall well being of the individuals and families that live in and around Maricopa.
This gives the company the opportunity to support its community on several different levels – from improving the environment by picking up trash to donating time and funds to support seniors, and from hosting a total wellness community event to collecting food items to donate to those in need, HAC seeks to support the community physically, emotionally and financially.
Harrah's employees bolster the community through every stage of life as well, supporting the growth and development of children by promoting healthy habits with Kids Action Generation, as well as making sure the needs of seniors are met by funding the Mom's Meals Program with the Pinal-Gila Council for Senior Citizens, which provides nutritious meals for elderly and homebound residents that reside within the City of Maricopa and other unincorporated areas of Pinal County.
As the one of the largest employers in Maricopa, Harrah's and it employees seek to fill in wherever they are needed in the community – the sign of a true partner.
In 2010, H.E.R.O. volunteers: - Donated 1,114 canned good items to local food banks;
- Came together more than 200 strong on Earth Day to pick up trash on the Ak-Chin Indian Reservation;
- Walked in both the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure (185 participants) and the Breast Cancer 3-Day (five participants, 339.5 hours of walking!);
- Held regular employee blood drives; and
- Created and sponsored "Helping Hand, Winning Hand," an effort that brought together more than 30 vendors, including medical professionals, law enforcement and various social service and community agencies to promote physical, family, financial and community wellness.
Additionally, HAC employees improved their workplace by ramping up efforts to go green through ACES – the Ak-Chin Environmentalist Squad – and teaming up with the Recycling Association of Maricopa. In 2010, the property: saved tens of thousands of pounds of oil (yellow) grease; recycled nearly 58 tons of cardboard; switched hundreds of employees to electronic pay checks, eliminating paper waste; and created HAC's first ever property "Green Zone" to recycle paper, cardboard and plastic.
Altogether, HAC reduced its waste by 148 tons in 2010, improving both the resort and the community that supports it.
How We Use Creative Methods To Solve Community Problems:
The innovation in H.E.R.O. volunteer efforts lies in the vast array of programs the property supports annually. More than 320 employees on property (out of 650 total) dedicated time to more than 50 worthy causes last year, ensuring the community that fosters its growth is in turn being nurtured and improved upon.
In addition to the community outreach projects already mentioned, H.E.R.O. volunteers donated time and funding in support of the Esperanza Children's Home, Girl Scouts, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Maricopa Schools, the Ronald McDonald House and many, many more individual causes.
If an employee is passionate about a cause, Harrah's supports that employee's dedication of time to that cause. Sometimes it's not necessarily creativity but the sheer volume of volunteer work that is done, and the company that supports those volunteers.
How Our Service Produces Positive Changes and Provides An example For Others:
In 2010 alone, Harrah's Ak-Chin employees donated 3,627 hours of their time – the equivalent of 90 work weeks and an increase in hours by 25 percent from the previous year. In addition to that, HAC family and friends supported the community by donating 1,048 hours of volunteer service in 2010.
In addition to their generous donation of time, H.E.R.O. volunteers raise funds for numerous community organizations. In 2010, Harrah's employees donated more than $39,000 to civic and philanthropic organizations in Pinal County, including nearly $25,500 in payroll contributions for United Way of Pinal County – an organization HAC has avidly supported for more than 10 years.
Each year, H.E.R.O. volunteers find new ways to contribute to the well being of the Ak-Chin Indian Community and the residents of the City of Maricopa. H.E.R.O. volunteers inspire their colleagues to join in their efforts, and volunteer hours have increased steadily over the past seven years.
Harrah's takes very seriously its Code of Commitment, which is why Harrah's Ak-Chin's H.E.R.O. team is the living embodiment of the company's commitment to make a positive, real impact in the community.
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