Carson City's Slot World contributes $10K to Holiday with a Hero from Saturday meals

The owner of Slot World in Carson City, Mike Pegram, has made a $10,000 contribution to Holiday with a Hero after serving more than 700 plates of food Saturday to patrons of Betsy's Big Kitchen restaurant inside the casino.

Slot World donated 100 percent of the proceeds from the cafe to the Holiday with a Hero program that will provide a proper Christmas to around 340 Carson City area underprivileged youth.

"This was huge, the largest single donation we've received," said Meliah Gonzales, a district court bailiff who helped start the event with her husband, Carson City Sheriff's Office Sgt. Daniel Gonzales, 14 years ago. "It was a real win-win. It brought people down to the newly remodeled Slot World to dine at Betsy's Big Kitchen and it helped us with our goals for Holiday with a Hero, which is to provide a proper Christmas to children in need in Carson City."

In addition to the $10,000 donation, nearly $1,400 was collected in cash donations at Slot World from patrons.

The patron and restaurant donations will help expand the program this year to ensure that around 100 high school students in addition to the 240 kindergarten through 5th grade students will be provided a proper Christmas, giving them each $100 gift cards to shop for themselves and their families.

Meliah Gonzales noted high fives should go to Slot World owner Mike Pegram and Joey Whitacre, Slot World’s director of casino operations for allowing the Holiday with a Hero event at the property.

"It was a real pleasure working with both of them on this project," she said.

Prior to Saturday's event Whitacre said Slot World's involvement was two fold: "We wanted to support our local heroes and give back to the community...In helping out the local heroes, we’re also giving back to the kids, which is our main focus with fundraising.”

The Holiday With a Hero program is co-organized by Daniel and Meliah Gonzales, CCSO, Carson City School District, Carson City Courts, Department of Corrections, and local fire departments. The outreach of this program, however, goes far beyond the local participating agencies by engaging the entire community.

Holiday with a Hero project pairs children from kindergarten through 5th grade with law enforcement officers, firefighters, members of the U.S. military and public officials, school district and community volunteers. The event provides each child a gift card to shop for things they need such as clothing and shoes as well as a toy to call their own.

The students have been identified as part of the McKinney-Vento program through the Carson City School District. This program helps children who’s families are identified as homeless, living in shelters, motel rooms and not having permanent homes, said Peggy Sweetland, special projects coordinator and McKinney-Vento students in transition liaison for the Carson City School District.

The McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for homeless children and youth. McKinney-Vento provides federal funding to states for the purpose of supporting district programs that serve homeless students.

On Wednesday, Dec. 20, students will be paired with volunteers who will lead them on the shopping spree. Santa Claus will appear at Walmart, where the children will meet with him and then shop using their gift card alongside a public service hero volunteer.

The community is urged to deliver their donations to the following locations between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Make checks payable to "Holiday With a Hero."

Deliver your donation to one of the following locations:
— The Carson City Sheriff’s Office administration building, 911 East Musser Street.
— Carson City Fire Department, Station 51, 777 South Stewart Street.
— The Carson City School District - Students In Transition, 604 West Musser Street
— Bank of the West, 2976 N Carson Street between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Mail checks to:
Carson City Sheriffs Office
C/O Holiday with a Hero
911 East Musser St.
Carson City, NV 89701