FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 10/7/2008

Beau Rivage Employees Donate $309, 400 to 94 Charitable Organizations in Mississippi

BILOXI, Miss. – Beau Rivage employees have raised $309,400 for 94 charitable organizations in Mississippi through the employee-funded, nonprofit MGM MIRAGE Voice Foundation. Since the Voice Foundation launched its first employee giving campaign in 2002, more than $1 million has been raised by Beau Rivage employees for charitable programs in Mississippi.

“The MGM MIRAGE Voice Foundation serves as an outlet for our employees to get involved in shaping and supporting our community by making financial contributions to the charities that are near and dear to their hearts,” said George P. Corchis, Jr., president and chief operating officer of MGM MIRAGE’s Mississippi resorts, which includes Beau Rivage in Biloxi and the Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, Miss. “Even in these challenging economic times, our employees set a new record and donated 33 percent more than last year.”

The MGM MIRAGE Voice Foundation provides employees the opportunity to make direct contributions or divert a portion of their paycheck to charitable organizations. Employees have options for their donation including: 1.) selecting a charity of their choice, providing it operates where the employee lives; 2.) an Employee Emergency Relief Fund, which helps fellow employees facing unexpected emergencies; 3.) the United Way; or 4.) the Voice Foundation Community Fund, which provides grants to charitable organizations selected by a group of MGM MIRAGE employees who are members of the Community Voice Council (CVC).

The agencies to receive the most employee donations in 2008 include St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, Humane Society of South Mississippi, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Gulf Coast Women’s Center for Non Violence, Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Mississippi.

The 2008 Voice Foundation Community Fund will award $93,459 in grants to the following recipients: American Red Cross ($10,000), Back Bay Mission ($10,000), Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast ($10,000), de l’Epee Deaf Center ($10,000), Hope Haven of Hancock County ($10,000), Make-A-Wish ($10,000), Memorial Hospital ($5,000), Mental Health Association of Mississippi ($10,000), Points of Light/Hands on Network ($10,000) and Visions of Hope ($8,459). CVC members are selected to serve based on their level of community involvement and workplace experience. Members attend monthly meetings, review grant applications, recommend amounts and agencies to be funded and conduct follow-up visits with local organizations to ensure that donations are used wisely.

Beau Rivage’s parent company, MGM MIRAGE, absorbs all administrative costs for operating and managing the Voice Foundation including the creation and dissemination of the request for proposals for the grant funds and the actual distribution of the monies. As a result, 100 percent of every dollar pledged by employees goes directly to the charitable organization. In order to qualify for funds, organizations must have an IRS nonprofit status and cannot be political in nature.

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For More Information:
Mary Cracchiolo-Spain, Beau Rivage
mcracchiolo@beaurivage.com
(228) 386-7134