The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Vernon Downs to donate to food bank
VERNON, N.Y. >> As part of Vernon Downs Casino Hotel’s ongoing commitment to supporting its surrounding communities, Arthur Wood, assistant general manager of Vernon Downs Casino Hotel, will be presenting a check on behalf of the casino and Jeff Gural, chairman of American racing and entertainment, in the amount of $53,460 to the Food Bank of Central New York on Nov. 7 at 10 a.m.
Vernon Downs will present a representative from the Food Bank with the donation, which is comprised of $26,730 in ticket sales from this summer’s charity concert featuring Crystal Gayle and Lee Greenwood, in addition to a personal match from Mr. Gural of another $26,730. The admission to the concert was $15 per ticket, the entirety of which was donated to the food bank. With Gural’s match, each ticket sold provided 90 meals.
“We are thrilled to present this donation to the Food Bank of Central New York. It’s such an important organization that distributes food to local food pantries and soup kitchens, which in turn, provide food for those in need that may not receive it any other way,” owner Jeff Gural said. “At Vernon Downs, we have an ongoing pledge to support our community, and getting involved with the Food Bank is a great way to make a difference in our neighbors’ lives.”
Counting this year’s char
ity concert, Vernon Downs andMr. Gural have donated more than $540,000 to the food bank since 2011, which has resulted in more than 1.6 million meals served to those in need.