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ST. LOUIS NEWS TODAY - Sunday, December 2, 2007
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Ameristar Workplace Giving Campaign Yields Over $3 Million for Local Communities
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), December 2, 2007 - Team Members from Ameristar Casinos, Inc. nationwide, with company and foundation matches, will contribute more than $3 million to local Ameristar communities through Ameristar's 2007 Workplace Giving Campaign. The 2007 contributions surpass 2006 contributions by 23 percent.
All donations made during the Workplace Giving Campaign are matched dollar for dollar by the company. In addition, the foundation created by Ameristar's late Chairman and CEO Craig H. Neilsen provides an additional match to contributions directed to designated spinal cord injury centers. Individual Team Member donations before company and foundation matches totaled $1,346,572.
Including the matching funds from the Company and Foundation, community organizations will receive a total of $3,061,967, an average of more than $500 per participating Team Member.
Ray and I are really pleased to see this level of philanthropy demonstrated by our Ameristar Team Members, said Gordon Kanofsky, Ameristar's Co-Chairman and EVP and Co-Trustee of the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation. The Foundation is proud to continue to match Ameristar Team Member contributions to local organizations that assist people living with spinal cord injury. A major part of Craig's legacy is the Foundation's mission to improve the quality of life for people living with spinal cord injury and to ultimately find a cure.
Charities and community organizations to which Team Members could direct their contributions were: The Ameristar Cares Sunshine Fund, a Team Member hardship fund, as well as local chapters of the United Way, Community Health Charities, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. Team Members at each property were also offered additional local choices, including an organization assisting those living with spinal cord injuries and another local charity determined by community needs and Team Member input.
Ameristar's Workplace Giving campaign was established in 2004 as a way for Team Members to join with the company to demonstrate the passion, dedication and caring felt for the communities where Ameristar has locations. Since inception, the campaigns have raised a total of $9,660,003.
Top 10 Tips for Living Green this Winter and Holiday Season
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), December 2, 2007 - With gasoline and home heating costs soaring and the threat of global warming looming, more and more people are realizing that it makes sense to live a greener life, both to keep expenses down and to conserve the world's natural resources.
And just when the cold winter weather prompts people to turn up their thermostats, the holiday season starts in full force, tempting consumers with myriad shopping trips, reams of wrapping paper, cards to relatives, friends and colleagues, and light displays that could put Vegas to shame.
The good news is that energy-efficient practices can cut energy use and costs significantly this time of year, according to Christopher Pastore, Ph.D., and Rob Fleming, M.Arch, co-directors of Philadelphia University's Engineering and Design Institute. The Institute, a state-of-the-art research, education and outreach facility, is dedicated to green design and sustainable building practices.
But how do you accomplish this without turning into Scrooge? There are some fairly easy and inexpensive steps to reducing home energy use and cutting back on holiday excess while still celebrating the joys of the season. Here, then, are the top 10 tips for greening up your lifestyle and helping to save the planet this time of year.
1. Switch to a programmable thermostat
There's no sense heating your home when no one is home. Invest in a programmable thermostat, which costs about $50, and turn the temperature down as low as you can bear at night while your family is warm under the covers and set the temperature to rise in the morning as everyone awakes. On weekends when you sleep in later, give your furnace a little more sleep, too.
2. Deck the boughs with LED lighting
This is the year to switch to LED lights to string on your Christmas tree. The LEDs (light-emitting diode) have many advantages over traditional lights: they last longer, aren't hot to the touch and thus don't pose a fire hazard, they use 10 times less energy and, if one bulb burns out, it doesn't short out the entire strip of lights. Even the 84-foot Christmas tree in New York's Rockefeller Center is adorned with 30,000 energy-saving LED lights this year.
3. Insulate
Only about 20 percent of houses built before 1980 have adequate insulation, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. At a minimum, put insulation in the attic; it's like wearing a hat on the coldest days and keeps your heat where it belongs -- in the house. Do-it-yourselfers can buy sheets of insulation at home improvement stores.
And don't forget to insulate your water heater; this can reduce heat loss up to 45 percent. If your water heater is warm to the touch, it probably needs additional insulation. Pre-cut jackets typically cost less than $20; choose one with an insulating value of at least R-8.
4. Artificial versus real Christmas trees
Which is greener? It's a tough call. An artificial tree that can be used for many years is a good choice. Or buy a real tree with its roots balled and plant it in your yard after the holidays. Many communities also offer Christmas tree recycling - typically grinding them into mulch.
5. Recycle
This may seem obvious, but recycling saves energy needed to create new materials and cuts down on landfill waste. In some communities, waste fees vary by how many trash containers are used; start recycling and see how little actual trash you throw away. This is a good project for kids, and it will help instill a lifelong commitment to recycle and reuse.
6. Go wrapless and BYOB
Yes, wrapped gifts do look lovely, but they create enormous waste. Instead, be creative in reusing what you have around the house (newspapers, magazines, old fabric, yarn). Many stores have decorated boxes this time of year that don't need wrapping. Or buy a few gift bags that can be reused. BYOB? Bring your own bags when shopping!
7. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs
Using these funny-looking bulbs is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to cut energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gases. If every American home replaced just one bulb with a compact fluorescent, it would save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equal to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars, according to EnergyStar.
These bulbs cost more than incandescent bulbs -- around $3 -- but last much longer and use about 75 percent less electricity, ultimately saving consumers about $30 per bulb.
8. Send E-Cards
Sending cards and family letters via e-mail is a great way to keep in touch and not waste time, money and natural resources. While holiday cards look nice on the fireplace mantel, think of all the trees and landfill space you'll save. The U.S. Postal Service estimates 1.9 billion Christmas cards are mailed annually. Your family and friends will appreciate your greetings regardless of how they are delivered.
9. Open blinds in winter and shade windows in summer
Work with nature to reduce your heating and cooling costs. During cold weather months, open blinds and curtains to let the light and heat of the sun in. Conversely, in the summer make sure you shield south-facing windows either with outside overhangs or shutters. This step alone can cut your cooling bill by about 20 percent.v
10. Buy environmentally friendly gifts
The options are almost endless: donate to a charity admired by your friend, adopt a whale (or gorilla, polar bear or elephant) in your loved one's name, give plants, adopt a highway or acre of rainforest or, for a waste-free gift, give memberships to zoos and museums or tickets to a concert, play or some other special event.
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