MGM Resorts' $500,000 donation to benefit Atlantic City youths

ATLANTIC CITY - The Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City will launch one of the most aggressive fundraising goals in its 45-year history with the announcement of a $2 million capital campaign to build the new MGM Resorts International Teen Center for Economic Youth Development and College Readiness.  MGM Resorts International, owner of Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, kicked off the campaign with a $500,000 donation.

The $2 million will be used to upgrade the Pennsylvania Avenue Boys and Girls Club. Younger members will use the Usry building, and the building at 317 N. Pennsylvania Ave. will then be renovated into the MGM Teen Club. The funds will also be used to create an operational fund for the career programs for five years.

The goal of the center is to transform the future of the youth of Atlantic City by providing them with a facility to develop the necessary skills to graduate high school, attend college or begin a career. With more than 93 percent of Atlantic City Boys and Girls Club youths living under the poverty level, having a job and college readiness programs is vital to helping them find economic stability for them and their families, according to a release.

Programs will include:

• Career readiness in the health, hospitality and technology industries. It will include a teaching kitchen, simulations rooms and fabrication lab.


• Academic enrichment in STEM classes, high school tutoring, SAT prep and college access program. It will also include internships and scholarships.


• Community workforce development opportunities. The center will serve as a hub for other organizations that support Boys and Girls Club families.

"Today we support about 1,900 youths a year. This center will not only help about 400 more kids, but it will expand our services to provide them with the skills and tools necessary to break the cycle of poverty, Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Michelle Carrera said. We could not transform the lives of so many without the support of MGM Resorts and our donors. Thanks to them, we are well on our way to creating a better future for thousands of Atlantic City youth.

"At MGM Resorts, we are committed to supporting organizations that share our values and drive change in each of the communities where we are located," said Shelley Gitomer, vice-president of Philanthropy and Community Relations at MGM Resorts International. "We hope that our donation will encourage other members of the local business community to also be part of the campaign and support the mission of the Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City."

"We could not be more grateful for partnerships like those with MGM. Their donation has jump started our capital campaign and I'm hopeful that with continued community support we will open our doors for teens all across Atlantic City in 2019," Carrera said.