A renewed partnership between OVG360 and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children of Atlantic, Cape May, and Camden Counties to host the 6th annual “Deck the Hall- Festival of Trees” at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall has generated $15,000 to benefit locally neglected and abused children this Holiday Season.
In conjunction and with the support of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), Lite 96.9 WFPG, and Coca-Cola, OVG360 solicited the local community to sponsor 33 custom decorated holiday trees which will be on display to the public in the Boardwalk Hall lobby through the duration of the holiday season. In addition, the public is invited to daily holiday organ recitals at noon through December 23.
Members of these organizations spent the last week “decking” Boardwalk Hall with their trees which were unveiled at a private kick-off reception with individuals and agencies that help local foster children and families. Proceeds from the event will be used to help recruit and train more volunteers to serve and advocate for children living in the foster system of Atlantic, Cape May, and Camden counties.
The sponsors of the month long event include: Atlantic & Cape May County Central Labor Council, Atlantic County Family Spine, Borgata Hotel & Casino, Calvi Electric Company, Carpenters Local 255, Ciocca Dealerships, IBEW Local 351, Environmental Design Inc., Herman Goldner Company, Thomas Company, Inc., Local 322 Plumbers & Pipefitters, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), ACUA- Atlantic County Utilities Authority, KHS&S Contractors, RSP Command, Ducktown Tavern & Liquors, Historic Organ Restoration Committee, Local 68 Operating Engineers, Vista Convention Services, IUPAT District Council 711, Falasca Mechanical, IATSE Local 77, Hughes Electric Company, Stockton University Atlantic City, 11th Floor Creative Group, IASTE Local 917, Golden Nugget, and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.
“I am sure we at CASA for Children aren’t the only ones excited that The Deck the Hall Festival of Trees event is back! This holiday staple was greatly missed during the pandemic. It is just one of the many ways that OVG360 and its employees give back to the community, and we are honored to be chosen as the beneficiary of this spirited event,” said Terry Norton-Wright, CASA’s Director of Development. “The feelings of goodwill that this event inspires gives us a wonderful platform to raise awareness about the challenges facing children in foster care and the importance of having a CASA volunteer at their side every step of the way.”
CASA for Children recruits, trains, and supports citizen-volunteers who advocate for children in the community and ensures that a well-trained independent volunteer is able to voice timely and objective recommendations to the Family Court on behalf of a child. A child with a CASA volunteer is:
- Twice as likely to be adopted, then to linger in long-term foster care
- Half as likely to re-enter the foster care system
- More likely to have a plan for finding a permanent home
- More likely to have better educational achievement
In Atlantic, Cape May and Camden Counties last fiscal year, 464 children had a CASA volunteer, a trusted adult who will stick with them until their case is resolved. Hundreds of children in these counties are still in need of a volunteer.
“Once again, we are absolutely humbled by the support of our partners and local business community who contributed to this year’s event,” said OVG360’s Jim McDonald, General Manager of Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. “OVG360 is dedicated to giving back to our local community, we are proud to help support the critical services CASA provides to children in our region and continuing this tradition for years to come.”
To date, the annual ‘Deck the Hall- Festival of Trees’ event has generated $73,000 for local community organizations. The event has generated $67,000 total for CASA and in 2014 $6,000 was raised for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey Southern Branch to support those in need.
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall and the Atlantic City Convention Center are operated by OVG360 and owned and funded by the CRDA.
About OVG360: OVG360, a division of Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client-partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client-partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides a set of services, resources and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility, OVG360 helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health and public safety and more.
Photos by Tom Briglia/PhotoGraphics
