News
July 3, 2024
Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady is proud to announce that it is the recipient of the Schenectady Rotary Club’s 2024 Chuck Steiner Award for excellence in business and philanthropy. The award celebrates the memory of Charles “Chuck” Steiner, who was a dedicated Schenectady Rotarian, president of the Chamber of Schenectady County, and a tireless advocate for small business, veteran’s affairs and the citizens of Schenectady County. Rivers Casino was presented the award during a ceremony held at the Turf Tavern in Scotia, NY on Thursday, June 27.
Photo (from left to right): Capital Region Chamber President and CEO, Mark Eagan; Rivers Casino & Resort General Manager, Joe Lodise; Rivers Casino & Resort Engagement Manager, Sean Wyse; and Schenectady Rotary Immediate Past President, Lisa Jackson.
“On behalf of the entire Rivers team, we are truly honored to receive this award in memory of Chuck Steiner,” said Joe Lodise, General Manager at Rivers Casino & Resort. “It’s really a testament to the great work that our team does each and every year in its efforts to help out the community and make Schenectady, and the Capital Region, a better place to live, work, and play. Our team members not only deliver the very best in gaming and entertainment to our guests, their passion for giving and commitment to the community is unmatched.”
The Chuck Steiner Award is presented to a business in Schenectady that is dedicated to serving the community, has demonstrated success in business operations in the current Rotary calendar year, and provides significant philanthropic contributions (either financially or through volunteer efforts) which demonstrably benefited people and/or groups in the city of Schenectady.
“It’s fitting for Rivers Casino & Resort to receive Schenectady Rotary’s Charles Steiner Award,” said Mark Eagan, Chuck’s colleague and President and CEO of the Capital Region Chamber. “Chuck envisioned the potential of the Casino early on and took the lead in advocating for the venture, which has become a profound economic driver and community resource for Schenectady and the Capital Region.”
Rivers Casino always looks to its team members to help identify charitable organizations and causes to support. Through our Rivers Gives program, our team members dedicate hundreds of hours of volunteer service – and Rivers provides goods, services, and financial donations – to over 60 local charitable and community organizations every year.
In 2023, Rivers donated over $250,000 in goods, services, and financial donations to community organizations throughout the Capital Region, and our Rivers Gives volunteers logged over 1500 hours of service to local charitable groups. So far in 2024, Rivers Casino has supported over 30 organizations, and our Rivers Gives team has logged nearly 700 volunteer hours – well ahead of last year’s pace.
Organizations supported by Rivers so far in 2024, through sponsorships, donations, and/or volunteering, include the American Red Cross, Alzheimer’s Association, American Cancer Society, Animal Protective Foundation, Bethesda House of Schenectady, Capital Region Veterans Memorial, City Mission of Schenectady, Ellis Hospital Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Schenectady Education Foundation, Schenectady Firefighters Cancer Foundation, SEAT Center, Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, SUNY Schenectady Foundation and more.
