Potawatomi Hotel & Casino on Thursday, Aug. 9 kicked off its 25th annual Heart of Canal Street campaign -- aimed at helping serve children in southeast Wisconsin by providing funds to local nonprofits. The 10 signature charities that will benefit from this year's campaign were announced.
According to a news release from Potawatomi officials, these organizations offer services that engage youth in the arts, provide a safe haven, promote educational growth opportunities, support the development of soft skills and encourage creativity.
The Heart of Canal Street program serves as the casino’s signature community program and has helped enhance and improve the lives of children and their families in the region for the last quarter-century. Since 1994, the program has provided more than $18 million to hundreds of area organizations, according to the release.
The majority of funds are raised through the Canal Street bingo game, which also began on Thursday, Aug. 9 -- and is played during every bingo session at the Casino through Dec. 13.
Below is a list of the 10 signature charities and their corresponding media partners:
City Year Milwaukee—presented by Lamar Outdoor
Danceworks—presented by OnMilwaukee.com
Exploit No More, Inc.—presented by iHeart Media
Hunger Task Force—presented by Clear Channel Outdoor
Junior Achievement of Wisconsin—presented by WITI Fox 6
Lake Valley Camp—presented by CBS 58
Neighborhood House of Milwaukee—presented by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
REDGen—presented by Fox Sports Wisconsin
Walker’s Point Center for the Arts—presented by 88nine Radio Milwaukee
The Women’s Center of Milwaukee—presented by Entercom Media
In addition to the signature charities, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino has selected Pathfinders as this year’s "Charity of Choice." They will receive the first $100,000 raised during the campaign.
Twenty additional charities will also take part in the 2018 Heart of Canal Street season and will be randomly selected at an event on Nov. 13.
On Dec. 17, the Heart of Canal Street fundraising total will be announced.
To commemorate the 25th annual campaign’s kick-off, representatives of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino have been delivering gifts of $2,500 to children’s charities in southeast Wisconsin, chosen at random. Delivery of those gifts, 10 total, will continue through Aug. 17.