UPDATE TUESDAY 2 P.M. ET: An Associated Press story says the anonymous donor is Steve Wynn, who earlier told a newspaper columnist he made the first donation in December. The United Way said it was the same donor this time, too.
Here's a heartwarming story in a time of distressing headlines and disappointing economic news.
CAPTIONBy Julie Jacobson, AP
A Las Vegas casino owner anonymously gave $1 million to needy local families Saturday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
While the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reports that tourism is up slightly this year and so is gaming revenue on the Strip, many locals are feeling the pinch from a high rate of home foreclosures, lack of construction jobs and scaled-back work hours in some cases.ALSO SEE: Vegas Playboy Club hops into the sunset
According to the Review-Journal story, the mogul gave the fund to United Way, which arranged for $500 gift cards to be distributed at a Boys & Girls Club in Vegas Saturday. People needing a boost were invited (but didn't know what they would get). The bank gift cards can be used for anything. The story said one boy wanted to buy video games, but his father stepped in and said: shoes.
The newspaper's readers tried to guess the identity of the giver. Guesses included Steve Wynn (whose ex-wife is trying to win the right to sell her shares in Wynn Resorts Limited, by the way) and Phil Ruffin, who bought Treasure Island (TI) from MGM a few years back and has kept the needs of the budget-conscious in mind.
Ruffin told Vegasinc.com he was taking out high-end venues in TI in favor of more value-oriented options. He said of eliminating a pricey restaurant: "High-end is tough today. To sit down with four or five people for a $400, $500 tab is probably not the venue we're going after."
The paper said the same person did the same thing in December. If my math is correct, 2,000 people were given something to smile about each time. Pretty upbeat tale, as anyone who has driven off the Strip and into some sad neighborhoods -- especially in North Las Vegas -- can attest.
Thoughts, anyone?
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