Employee Volunteer All-Stars Archive
2012
James Healey
Executive Director of Housekeeping
New York-New York Hotel & Casino
James is a champion for equal rights for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. He has been an active board member of the Southern Nevada Association of Pride since 2003, helping to plan the organization’s annual festival and dozens of related events, including the annual Pride Parade downtown. He also serves on the National Board of Governors for the Las Vegas Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT advocacy organization. Through his efforts, James has raised awareness – and tens of thousands of dollars – to support LGBT causes in the community. “Particularly for those of us who are fortunate enough to have jobs, I feel it’s important to take the time to give back,” James said. “Lots of us get so bogged down day to day it’s easy to forget about the fun things – being a volunteer is an amazing reward. It’s a chance to have a real feel-good moment.” James was awarded MGM Resorts International’s 2011 Volunteer of the Year Award for the supervisor category.
Abigail Hotchkiss
Senior Internal Auditor
Caesars Entertainment Corp.
Abigail Hotchkiss, senior internal auditor for Caesars Entertainment Corporation has demonstrated exceptional community service for Las Vegas. One of her most significant accomplishments has been her work for the Jackie Gaughan and Engelstad Boys and Girls Club clubhouses, where she assisted the launch of “Discovering Las Vegas”-a summer fieldtrips program, designed to showcase inner city Las Vegas culture and history. Abigail’s involvement in the Boys and Girls Club has included helping to organize the James Clubhouse’s Easter Egg Hunt, two Valentines Day craft workshops, and the Thanksgiving donation baskets event where 60 family holiday baskets were prepared for families in need. She has participated in SMART girls workshops to help empower girls to grow into happy, well-rounded young women. Abby is currently a consultant for Teach For America, a program that works to ensure that kids growing up in low-income families get an excellent education. Initiated by her own drive to help her community, she has volunteered 100 hours of community service and has recorded nearly 70 HERO hours as part of an employee-driven volunteer program at Caesars Entertainment.
Patricia Houseworth
Regulatory Compliance Analyst
International Game Technology (IGT) Las Vegas
Patricia is more than a volunteer; she is a leader, recruiter and motivator for the Las Vegas IGT employees. The regulatory compliance analyst has volunteered to lead IGT’s community teams for the past 11 years. She makes sure the IGTers are ready to walk, jog, run or climb for some the most essential charities in the Las Vegas community. From climbing stairs for the American Lung Association to walking for the American Cancer Society, Patricia can be found in her IGT t-shirt leading the team one step at a time. Patricia’s passion is educating people about lesser known charities, like the Arthritis Foundation and the American Heart Association’s Go Red Campaign. “I contribute as much as I can during the year,” Patricia said. “It’s surprising how those small donations add up, even when it is only $20 at a time.”
Alecia Johnson
Technical Support Specialist
Cadillac Jack
Alicia Johnson, a technical support specialist at Cadillac Jack, is vice president of her chapter of Beta Sigma Phi sorority. Beta Sigma Phi is a sorority not affiliated with any university but founded in 1931 to provide a social, cultural and educational climate that was not available at the time. As president of Beta Sigma Phi’s local city council, consisting of six chapters in the Gainesville area, her chapter made dolls to donate to a battered women’s home, donated money to CASA, donated food and newspapers to the Humane Society and donated time and goods to Under the Bridge Ministries.
Cliff Kamps
Security and Emergency Response Officer
Rhythm City Casino
Cliff Kamps began his employment with Rhythm City Casino on August 25, 2010 and currently works as a security and emergency response officer. For the past two years, Cliff has spent approximately 16 hours a week during the summer volunteering at the Beacon Harbor Visitor Center at The Quarter in East Moline, Ill. As a volunteer, Cliff provides travelers with information about local points of interest, events and shares maps and brochures promoting the surrounding Quad Cities area. Cliff has been donating blood since 1980 and is a bone marrow and stem cell donor. One year, he set up a booth at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. during their blood drive, giving out information on donating bone marrow and setting people up for the registry. He is currently working to set up registration opportunities through the Davenport, Iowa-based Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, which is the exclusive provider of blood products and services to 75 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin and handles more than 240,00 units of blood components each year.
Bill Knowles
Caesars Entertainment Corp.
Giving back to the community is second nature to Bill. He is especially passionate about children and seniors. If there is a child in need, whether it be clothing or food, or a senior in need, whether it is air conditioning, payment of utilities, or assistance in repairing a leading roof, Bill is the first one to offer assistance and often personally pays for such help. Bill works all year on the Clothe-A-Child Program by raising funds to provide needy children with winter clothes. This year the program provided each child with a $100 shopping trip to WalMart so they could work with a volunteer to purchase warm clothes, new jackets and shoes. In 2011, more than 75 children received these shopping trips and were then treated to a Christmas party for lunch, face painting, games and a visit from Santa.
Kehl LeSourd
Manager of Mechanical Engineering
International Game Technology (IGT)
When Kylee LeSourd was seven years old, she watched her dad and a team of his friends and colleagues shave their heads on stage in front of hundreds, cheering together in solidarity with children fighting cancer. Although Kylee lost her fight to cancer in 2008, her memory lives on as hundreds of Reno community members celebrate her memory by shaving their heads each year on St. Baldrick’s Day. Kylee never wanted another child to experience cancer like she did, so her father, Kehl LeSourd, a manager in IGT’s Mechanical Engineering department, created Kylee’s Wish five years. It’s a promise from a father to his daughter to help other children diagnosed with cancer and to help find a cure through donations to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. In its first year, Kehl’s team surpassed its goal of raising $1,000 by collecting donations of more than $40,000 for the foundation. Team members have come back year after year to go bald, including several women, and this year’s team includes more than 100 members with more than 60 head “shavees.” Over the past four years, the team has raised more than $152,000 dollars for the foundation.
Phyllis LeTart
Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs
Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races
Phyllis LeTart has served on the Board of Directors of Hospice of the Eastern Panhandle for the past three years. She currently holds the position of vice president and chairs the organization’s capital campaign. Phyllis has also served on the board of directors of the Shepherdstown Day Care Center for nearly six years and is currently the vice president of that organization as well. After four years, Phyllis recently stepped down from her board seat with the Jefferson County chapter of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), which provides legal support for abused children. She actively participates in the United Way’s annual Day of Caring Phyllis is also a member of The Contributions Committee here at HCCTR. Last year, Phyllis was named a “Woman of Distinction” by the Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capitol in recognition of her charitable and community involvement.
Joe Maddox
Security Supervisor
The Signature at MGM Grand
Joe regularly volunteers for a myriad of community organizations and encourages his colleagues to do likewise. Some of these organizations include Opportunity Village, a not-for-profit organization that serves people with intellectual disabilities; Three Square, southern Nevada’s only food bank, and Springs Preserves, the premier location in Las Vegas to explore the valley's vibrant history through interactive science and nature exhibits, botanical gardens, hiking, trails and live animal shows.“He’s involved in every volunteer cause you can think of,” said Tim McGraw, a fellow Signature employee. “Joe is the backbone of volunteerism at The Signature. He is out there almost every single day doing something.”As chair of the resort’s Diversity and Community Council, Joe also sends frequent (two to three a week) email blasts to his resort colleagues advertising volunteer opportunities and encourages people to join him. “I hope people understand the need out there and the number of volunteer opportunities there are,” he said. “I have lots of time to dedicate, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a daily or even a weekly thing. There are plenty of worthy monthly or even one-time opportunities out there that can really make a big difference in someone else’s life.”
John Mohr
Associate Manager, Field Service
WMS Gaming, Inc.
Every year, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Sacramento holds a benefit for pinball enthusiasts from all over northern California. Pin-a-Go-Go is an event whose proceeds benefit children from the Sacramento area. John has volunteered at this show for the past 12 years. He travels from Temecula, Calif. to Dixon, Calif. to attend the event; the trip is approximately 1,000 miles round trip. During the event, he assists with setting up the pinball machines, placing games and repairing games throughout the show. While you will not see his name showcased at this event, he is one of many show volunteers who ensure that the games on display keep working the entire weekend. Many of the games on display date back to the 60s and 70s and can be a real handful to keep in good working order. All games are placed on Free Play during the show, with a small admission charge at the door. Each year, close to $8,000 is raised for this worthwhile cause.
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