Rivers Casinos Promote Workforce Development and Economic Opportunity Alongside Community Partners on Sept. 17

Schenectady, NY (Sept. 16, 2025) - The combined forces of Rivers Casinos and Rush Street Gaming will give a synchronized, localized lift to workforce development and economic opportunity on Wednesday, Sept. 17. Empowering individuals and small-business owners to drive personal, career and economic growth is the enterprisewide focus of this year’s “Rivers Gives Day of Service.” 

To support this imperative, more than 6,000 Team Members from all five Rivers’ gaming properties, plus Rush Street’s Chicago HQ, will deploy in their respective operating markets. Select nonprofit community partners with this shared mission will see fleets of helpers from Rivers Casino arrive to volunteer on Wednesday.

Team Members will mobilize at Rivers Casinos in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Des Plaines, Illinois (Chicago area); Schenectady, New York; and Portsmouth, Virginia.

Additionally, various Rivers Casino property activations and information exchanges are planned systemwide, featuring content and guidance ranging from job readiness and tuition reimbursement to home buying, financial literacy and more.

“Rivers Gives” is Rush Street Gaming’s long-standing community outreach program. The key pillars of Rivers Gives are volunteerism, board service, donation drives, in-kind contributions and corporate giving. Through Rivers Gives, each Rivers Casino contributes thousands of volunteer hours to local nonprofit partners each year.

This is the third annual Rivers Gives Day of Service, during which each Rivers Casino coordinates its ongoing multifaceted community engagement programs in four different states. A unifying intention — such as workforce development and economic opportunity — is selected across all markets, and a plan is then activated throughout the entire organization.

“Rivers Casino is proud to support workforce development and economic opportunity in the communities we serve,” said Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rivers Casino and Rush Street Gaming. “By partnering with local organizations, we’re helping individuals build careers, gain financial stability and create brighter futures for themselves and their families.”

After 2023’s inaugural year, Rush Street Gaming was inspired by its Team Members to make Rivers Gives Day of Service an annual event to demonstrate gratitude and to uplift its communities. In previous years, initiatives have supported military veterans and first responders as well as health and wellness nonprofits.

“Helping people realize their growth potential and achieve success is at the heart of what we do,” said Dawn Reynolds Pettit, chief human resources officer of Rush Street Gaming. “Doing great work in our communities is a priority 365 days per year, and on Rivers Gives Day of Service we celebrate that alignment.”

Across their operating markets, Rivers Casino and Rush Street Gaming annually contribute approximately $14 million to local nonprofit partners and various community groups.

Rivers Casino Schenectady Partners with YWCA NorthEastern NY (YWCA of Schenectady)

For its 2025 Rivers Gives Day of Service, Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady is partnering with YWCA NorthEastern NY in support of the organization’s STRIVE program. STRIVE provides individuals with essential life and career skills designed to help them overcome barriers and achieve economic independence. Through job readiness training, financial literacy education and career advancement resources, STRIVE participants gain the tools they need to secure stable employment, build financial security and pursue their goals with confidence.

Rivers Team Members will volunteer at several YWCA sites in Schenectady throughout the day. At the organization’s domestic violence shelter, Rivers volunteers will clean and improve the gardens and playground, paint and stain picnic tables and raised garden beds, and prepare dinners in the on-site commercial kitchen for all YWCA resident locations. At the STRIVE boutique on State Street, volunteers will help organize and transition the shop from summer to fall and winter, ensuring residents and clients have access to professional clothing and shoes.

At the YWCA’s administrative offices on Washington Avenue, casino financial and human resources Team Members will host a financial wellness and job literacy workshop for YWCA clients. The session will include resume building, mock job interviews, and information on saving, budgeting and bookkeeping. Rivers will also present a $10,000 check to Y representatives to support the organization’s programs.

In addition, Rivers Team Members at the casino will participate in a donation drive to collect professional clothing, shoes, water bottles, travel mugs, planners and backpacks to benefit women entering the workforce.

Casino guests can also join in the giving through a Rivers Gives collection box located on the gaming floor. Contributions of chips, uncashed slot vouchers or currency will be donated to local workforce development nonprofit partners.