anonymous Las Vegas casino owner donates $1 million to United Way

An anonymous Las Vegas casino owner donates $1 million dollars to the United Way of the Southern Nevada and sure helped brighten the day for those down on their luck.

In a city very hard hit by the effects of the economy and still feeling the effects, the very generous donation is sure to be appreciated.  Although Nevada still faces double digit unemployment, the State Extended Benefits program, a lifeline for many ends at the beginning of July further added to the plight of the one of the hardest hits cities..

The 2000 families each received the $500 U.S. Bank gift card due to the generosity of the anonymous Las Vegas casino owner.  This is a repeat performance since the  same anonymous Las Vegas casino owner donated $1 million to the same agency in December.

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The only thing that changed this time around was the donor’s nickname.  In December it was Secret Santa. For the most recent gift, the donor went by, “Summer Santa”.

The donor and the United Way wanted the gift cards to be a surprise.  Workers sent letters and made phone calls, inviting families to come to the gym. The families were told they would receive something, but they never knew exactly what.

According to the Las Vegas Review Journal,one of the recipients, Laureene Furnari. had a very rough month.

She had to move out of her home and put her stuff in storage. She had to split her family apart. The 50-year-old mother of two is now staying with a friend. Her 11-year-old daughter is living with a family member, and her 20-year-old son is sleeping at a buddy’s house while trying to find a job.

In a parking lot outside the gym, she expressed gratitude for a stranger’s generosity.

“God bless him,” she said. “Whoever he is.”

The cards were distributed on Saturday in the gymnasium at the Boys & Girls Club to the delight of the recipients.

It turns out the donor was the person that many thought it was, Steve Wynn.

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