Caesars Entertainment EMEA has teamed up with charity SportsAid to help fund and support young athletes during the early years of their careers.
The partnership saw staff from various Caesars-owned casinos compete in a white-water rafting challenge with 2012 Olympic gold medalist Etienne Stott to raise money for the charity. While competing, the employees took young SportsAid athletes under their wings.
Nine staff members from the Rendezvous Brighton casino competed against several other teams including the Essex-based Rendezvous Southend to build a raft and complete a white-water rafting race course, the Ealing Times reports.
Cricketer Georgie Boyce, boxer Connor Tudsbury and wheelchair basketballer Christy Gregan were all in attendance during the event and cheered the teams on.
In the end, however, the Southend Rendezvous team managed to complete the Olympic water raft course in quicker time than the others and were named the top team of the day at an awards ceremony later that evening presented by Stott.
Speaking to the Ealing Times about the challenge, Rendezvous Southend employee Shelley Clarke said: “It was fantastic and a really good opportunity – it was a miracle we survived the raft-building. The canoe slalom experience was incredible and such a buzz to be in the boat together, as well as managing to avoid drowning.”
Nick Reynolds, who works at the Rendezvous Brighton, said: “It was competitive but all good fun and great to get the teams together. We needed a few pointers in terms of building the boats but we got there in the end.”
The 42-year-old explained it was his first time visiting a London 2012 Olympic venue before adding: “It was quite a privilege and good to have a role in the partnership between SportsAid and Caesar’s.”
Caesars Entertainment EMEA is helping young athletes through SportsAid by giving them recognition and financial support during the critical early years of their careers.
Speaking about the partnership and the event, Stott said: “It was a memorable day and the teams did better at building rafts than I expected.
“The Caesar’s employees who support SportsAid got to have close contact with the athletes and perhaps in the future, they’ll follow them all the way to the Olympics. SportsAid is amazing because it gives young athletes vital support and encouragement at an important stage in their careers.”
