COEUR CONNECTIONS

less than $1. Collect all those unclaimed values, and you’ll soon have thousands of dollars for a good cause.

That’s the thinking behind the casino’s most recent charitable partnership program, says Dee Dee McGowan, who oversees sponsorships and relationships with community organizations.

The idea started a few years ago with casino team members suggesting it. Rather than throwing away discarded tickets, they thought, could they pool the money and donate to worthy causes?

At first there was a new nonprofit every month that would benefit. Marketing Director Yvette Matt says each month netted about $3,000 in unclaimed money that went to the nonprofits. More recently, they’ve switched to a quarterly distribution to multiple groups, with casino nominated nonprofits and individual families that need help during the end-of-year holiday season.

“Donations through these partnerships and from the community go directly toward the support of the animals we care for,” says Kristi Soto with the Spokane Humane Society, which received more than $10,000 last year through the casino’s Coeur Connections program. “We are beyond appreciative of their support and those who donated through their giving program and for the love of our community animals.”

McGowan says the connection between all this work is helping the larger Inland Northwest community. For example, Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel is supporting the new Idaho Central Spokane Valley Performing Arts Center, now under construction.