Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack’s Tournaments of Christmas has made it possible for more than 400 children in the Wheeling area to have a merrier Christmas.
On Friday, Dec. 16, Lt. Benny Carringer of the Salvation Army-Wheeling Corps accepted hundreds of new toys and $6,750 in cash for the Christmas distribution.
The toys will be given out on Thursday, Dec. 22 at the Corps’ Eoff Street center.
“The number of children being helped is an increase from last year,” Carringer said. “They represent about 240 families.”
The Salvation Army-Wheeling Corps is a member agency of the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley.
The Tournaments of Christmas were held Dec. 2, 3, 4, 9 and 10 and Wheeling Island guests who donated $20 in cash, or a new, unwrapped toy valued at $20 received a seat in the day’s Slot, Racing, Blackjack, or Poker Tournament.
“This is the fourth year for The Tournaments of Christmas, and it has been our biggest year yet,” Kim Florence, Wheeling Island President and General Manager, said. “Once again, our effort helped us to not only collect hundreds of toys, but also raise $6,750 in cash to help make Christmas special for those in need throughout the Ohio Valley.
“For us here at Wheeling Island, it means so much during one of the most exciting times of the year to be able to do something special to give back to the community,” Florence said. “We believe not only the toys, but also the cash donations, will help a lot of families. This is a small piece of what we can do in the community.”
“This gift makes us one step closer to being able to make sure that kids who are are less fortunate have a Christmas,” Carringer said. “When you see the joy in their faces,
and knowing they will have something to open on Christmas morning, that brings us closer to doing the most good in our community.”
To contact the Salvation Army-Wheeling Corps, please call 304-233-4400.
To contact the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley, please call 304-232-4625.