Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s signature charity program Heart of Canal Street will provide Milwaukee-based nonprofit Sojourner Family Peace Center with the first $100,000 raised during this year’s campaign.
Potawatomi officials today announced the organization has been chosen as the 2019 campaign’s “charity of choice.” Sojourner is the largest nonprofit provider of domestic violence prevention and intervention services in Wisconsin and serves more than 9,500 clients annually.
Sojourner will use the funds to support its Camp HOPE program, a week-long summer camp for kids affected by domestic violence.
“Sojourner Family Peace Center does such an outstanding job in our community helping victims of domestic violence and, sadly, too often that includes children,” said Rodney Ferguson, chief executive officer and general manager of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. “We hope this partnership will allow Sojourner to continue the inspiring work they do for families and give children the exposure to all of the opportunities Camp HOPE provides.”
Heart of Canal Street funds are raised primarily through Canal Street bingo games played during every bingo session from August through mid-December. The 2019 campaign kicks off Aug. 8.
A total of 31 children’s charities will benefit from this year’s fundraising total, which will be announced Dec. 16.
“We share Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s commitment to serving the young people of our community and are grateful to be named their Charity of Choice,” said Carmen Pitre, president and chief executive officer of Sojourner. “Kids impacted by domestic violence need to know the violence is never their fault. Safety planning and talking about their experience is central to healing. But data also shows conquering healthy challenges, like those at Camp HOPE, help build resilience and hope.”
To date, the program has raised $19 million for children’s charities in southeast Wisconsin.
