The casino's emergency fund received donations from Jay Leno, David Copperfield, Bill Maher and more.
MGM Resorts International's emergency relief fund for struggling Las Vegas workers has swelled to $11 million after donations from Jay Leno, David Copperfield and Bill Maher.
The MGM Resorts Foundation's Emergency Relief Fund was launched on March 23 with an initial $1 million donation from the Las Vegas casino operator after it had to lay off employees during the coronavirus spread.
Other resident entertainers to have worked at MGM Resorts properties on the Las Vegas Boulevard and now donating to its relief fund include Kathleen Madigan, David Spade, Boyz II Men, Brad Garrett, Carrot Top, Ray Romano and Thunder from Down Under.
"With donations from this extraordinary line-up of entertainers, commitments from MGM Resorts and its leadership team, our own employees, and a number of other generous contributions, we have already raised approximately $11 million to assist our employees during this time of unprecedented challenges and hardship," Bill Hornbuckle, MGM Resorts' acting CEO and president, said Wednesday in a statement.
The emergency fund aids employees and their families with short-term grants and is aimed at fulltime employees, on-call workers and those facing layoff, separation or furlough.
MGM Resorts, which has shuttered its entertainmnent properties amid the virus crisis, adds it has donated the equivalent of 454,000 meals through local food banks to help reduce hunger.
