This year, Foxwoods Resort Casino and HuskyTHON announced a fundraising partnership in support of Connecticut Children’s, a non-profit Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut. HuskyTHON is a year-long philanthropic effort coordinated by students at the University of Connecticut for one of the top ten dance marathons in the country and the largest Children's Miracle Network Dance Marathon in the Northeast. HuskyTHON is entirely student run by a team of 28 undergraduate student leaders.

As the first ever presenting partner of HuskyTHON, Foxwoods presented a check for $20,000 during the 21^st annual HuskyTHON on Saturday, February 22, 2020. This donation helped to support Connecticut Children's mission to improve access to healthcare for all children through convenient locations, care alliances and partnerships. As the only hospital in Connecticut that is dedicated exclusively to the care of children, Connecticut Children's provides more than 30 pediatric specialties along with community-based programs to uniquely care for the physical, social and emotional needs of children. The team of pediatric experts and care coordinators bring access to breakthrough research, advanced treatments for both rare and common diseases, and innovative health and safety programs for every child in need.

Foxwoods is proud to collaborate with great community partners like the University of Connecticut and their students. It’s both a pleasure and an honor for Foxwoods to help raise awareness and funds for the fantastic work of Connecticut Children's. Foxwoods has a devout sense of community and commitment to such a great cause and is confident that their partnership will brighten the tomorrows of every child at Connecticut Children's for years to come.

The philanthropic efforts of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation extend throughout the organization, from the corporate level down to each individual employee. Team members of both the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprise can donate to select charities of their choice via weekly or one-time payroll deductions through the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Giving Campaign.

For 2020, employees have committed to donating a total of $107,000 via payroll deductions to charities that directly impact the local community. Those charities include:

• United Way Community Care – United Way of Southeastern Connecticut creates real, lasting change in New London County by supporting and strengthening 76 local programs and initiatives. Gifts to United Way advance the common good for all, helping those in need and lifting up the entire community. Local charities supported by United Way include the American Red Cross, Child & Family Agency of SECT, Inc., Gemma E. Moran United Way Labor Food Bank, Madonna Place and the New London Homeless Hospitality Center.
• Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center – The Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, part of the government of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, is a non-profit educational institution that seeks to further knowledge and understanding of the richness and diversity of the indigenous cultures and societies of the United States and Canada. The 308,000-square-foot Museum complex consists of permanent exhibits, the Mashantucket Gallery (a gallery for temporary exhibits), classrooms, a 320-seat auditorium, a restaurant, a museum shop and administrative offices. The Research Center houses collections, archives and archaeology and conservation laboratories where ongoing work from the field is evaluated and studied.
• Employee Emergency Assistance Fund – The Employee Emergency Assistance Fund was created to provide assistance to Foxwoods Resort Casino and Tribal Government employees who are experiencing considerable financial hardship by granting financial assistance to those who qualify.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and Foxwoods Resort Casino are together committed to creating a sustainable business through resource conservation and recycling efforts. As a nation that has lived off the Connecticut land for centuries, a priority focus is on sustainability, both in supporting the tribe’s internal needs and our external economic ventures.

Foxwoods takes several steps to ensure the nine-million square foot resort operates in a sustainable way, including: opting for housekeeping cleaning chemicals that are readily biodegradable and do not contain harmful agents; offering resort-wide opportunities for recycling materials such as glass, metal, paper, cardboard and plastic; engineering and purchasing paint products for internal and external work with low or zero volatile organic compounds; implementing the Hotel Green program where guests can request to limit their use of fresh sheets and towels to save on water and energy to reduce detergent waste; and offering electric car charging stations in property parking areas.

As a result of efforts like these, in 2019 alone, Foxwoods Resort Casino conserved:

• 4,068,585 KW-HRS of electricity, enough power to fulfill the annual electricity needs of 388 homes

• 1,679,530 gallons of water, enough to meet the fresh water needs of 35,726 people

• 1,975 cubic yards of landfill airspace, enough to meet the disposal needs of a community of 2,536 people

• 5,154 mature trees, enough saved timber resources to produce 63,861,351 sheets of newspaper

• And avoided 1,920 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions

Foxwoods Resort Casino and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation have a long history of community involvement and support ranging from monetary sponsorships to in-kind sponsorships of community-focused initiatives. As one of Connecticut’s largest employers and revenue contributors, Foxwoods values giving back to the state and community and supporting local philanthropic organizations. In 2019, Foxwoods and the tribe gave over $700,000 to support social stability, health and wellness, arts and culture and economic growth both within Connecticut and throughout New England. The tribe is proud to have infused more than $4 billion into Connecticut’s economy through the slot revenue sharing agreement. Foxwoods also has several ongoing community partnerships including:

• Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Bank— Foxwoods has a long-standing commitment to support the United Way of Southeastern Connecticut and Gemma Moran Food Center in their fight against hunger and food insecurity. As such, different departments at Foxwoods rotate monthly to volunteer with United Way’s Mobile Food Pantry in New London. With the help of Foxwoods’ generous volunteers, the Mobile Pantry was able to serve 285,383 meals in Southeastern Connecticut last year.
   
• Stuff the Bus—Foxwoods holds its annual seasonal giving campaign “Stuff the Bus” during which   unwrapped toys, blankets, pajamas, jackets and diapers are be collected and donated to the United Way of Southeastern Connecticut and its “Tommy Toy” Fund program. Stuff the Bus was started by Foxwoods employees in 2013 and as a result, more than 6,000 children in Eastern Connecticut have received toys.
   
• HuskyTHON—Foxwoods has partnered with HuskyTHON to support Connecticut Children’s Medical Center since 2019. For 2020, Foxwoods is the first ever presenting partner at HuskyTHON, a year-long philanthropic effort and dance marathon at the University of Connecticut to raise funds and awareness for the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

As one of Connecticut’s highest tax payers and largest employers, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation has contributed more than $4 billion to the state economy through the first-of-its-kind tribal gaming revenue-sharing agreement, enacted in 1993. Likewise, through the Mashantucket Pequot Fund, the Tribe has also contributed hundreds of millions in donations and sponsorships for the benefit of communities and tribes in need, both locally and throughout the U.S.

According to The Economic Impact of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation report released in July 2019, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and Foxwoods brought jobs and greater prosperity to a part of the state that was devastated by the loss of defense industry jobs in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. The report, compiled by economist and Stanford professor Jonathan B. Taylor, also noted that all of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation’s benefits to the state occur without tax abatement, relocation incentive, tax exemption, or any other tax expenditure. Unlike stakeholders who leave the state of Connecticut for more favorable business and political climates, we are committed to our land and therefore acknowledge the importance of maintaining a positive working relationship with Connecticut stakeholders.