The Las Vegas casino owner has stepped up again to help the needy. This is in addition to the recent anonymous $2 million gift to the United Way of Southern Nevada.
In the past few months, 4,000 southern Nevada families have each received anonymous gifts of $500 each. For one man, LeRoy Stapleton, it meant gas money to help him go out and look for a job and provided hope of preventing homelessness.
The first gifts started as $500 gift cards at Christmas 2011, but this past Saturday, 2,000 more families received the $500. A lot of the families who received money make less than $16,000 a year, so you can imagine what a boost to their income an extra $500 is! One woman was so surprised that she fell to the ground after receiving the card. It meant she could make her rent for another month. Others used it to pay things like cell phone bills and car insurance – things many of us take for granted.
These donations had all of Las Vegas buzzing about who the generous casino owner was.
Steve Wynn, owner of the Golden Nugget, The Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio, Wynn, and Encore casinos, recently came forward as the benefactor in an interview with a local newspaper. He was listed as the 512th richest man in 2011 with a net worth of $2.3 billion.
Some might say that Wynn preys on the poor with his casinos and should give back to the community, but most of those receiving the gifts are just thankful for what they got. Shinoa Owens, who works two part-time jobs to try to make ends meet for her and her 2-year-old daughter, said it was nice of Wynn. She said, “I don’t care how much he spent elsewhere. I am glad he shared some of it with me. Even if it was just $25. I am not a greedy grubber.”
Like other states, Nevada has been hit hard by the poor economy. Unemployment is at 11.6 and foreclosure is high (one out of every 285 homes).
Former mayor Jan Jones said it is common for the casino owners to give back to the community during hard times.