This year marks the 20th anniversary of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.
Over the next seven and a half months, many celebrations will mark the milestone. But none will have a bigger impact than the $400,000 the Seminole Tribe of Florida donated to 20 charities this week.
During a celebration event on May 15, the tribe surprised the charity organizations with $20,000 each.
Casino President Thanks Tampa for Longtime Support
The Seminole Tribe owns six Las Vegas-style casinos in Florida. Their Tampa property is one of their most profitable operations and one of two Hard Rock-branded properties in the Sunshine State.
Florida online casinos remain illegal, though Floridians can play sweepstakes and social casinos. However, Hard Rock International CEO Jim Allen said the tribe will push to add online casinos to the gaming compact when the Florida sports betting legal battle wraps up.
During the donation presentation, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa President Steve Bonner said the casino is committed to improving the community it calls home.
“Love All-Serve All is more than a motto to us, it’s our guiding principle. Through our philanthropic efforts, we continue to invest in the community by advocating for important causes that are making a real difference in countless lives every day.
“Clearly, we want to use this occasion as a celebration of our successes and accomplishments. But, more importantly, we want to give back to show we are extremely grateful for the overwhelming support from the Tampa Bay community throughout all of these years.”
The 20 organizations that received a donation are:
- Best Buddies Tampa Bay
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Tampa Bay
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay
- Bullard Family Foundation
- CASA Domestic Violence Support
- Children’s Dream Fund
- David A Straz Center For the Performing Arts
- Florida Aquarium
- Glazer Children’s Museum
- Habitat For Humanity of West Pasco and Pinellas
- Hispanic Family Research Cultural Center
- Humane Society of Tampa Bay
- Junior League of Tampa
- Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful
- Make A Wish of Southern Florida
- St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation
- The Centre for Women
- The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay
- The Spring of Tampa Bay
- Zoo Tampa
Big Musical Acts Coming This Summer
According to the Seminoles, the casino has donated more than $10 million in “philanthropic initiatives to support over 100 local organizations” in Tampa and the surrounding area over the last 20 years.
The casino has pumped millions of dollars into the local economy in the last two decades. By its estimates, more than 280,000 room occupancies occur each year at the venue. More than 4,300 people are employed at the casino, with more than 150 employed throughout the entire 20 years of its existence.
There are several ways to celebrate at Hard Rock in Tampa this upcoming summer. For example, Wayne Newton, the Jonas Brothers, and John Legend will all appear on the entertainment stage.
The 245,000-square-foot casino gaming space boasts more than 5,000 slot machines, poker, and gaming tables.
