First Round of $250,000 In Funding Announced By Tioga Downs Regional Community Foundation

Cocktail Reception for all recipients to be held Friday January 4^th at 6:30 pm

Nichols, N.Y. – January 2, 2019 – As part of the commitment of Tioga Downs and owner Jeff Gural, Tioga Downs is pleased to host its very first cocktail reception officially announcing the recipients of the first $250,000 in funding through the Tioga Downs Regional Community Foundation, a non-profit organization that reviews and selects applications for grant funding.

The cocktail reception will be held at the Tioga Downs ballroom on Friday, January 4 at 6:30 pm.  All sixteen award recipients will be on hand to receive their share of $250,000 during this inaugural event, with further announcements regarding the next round of grant funding forthcoming.  All sixteen grant award recipients were narrowed down from a list of more than fifty applications received since the beginning of November.

“My mother was from Binghamton, and I fondly remember spending many holidays here as a child. It’s a region I’ve grown to love, which is why I chose to do business here, and one I will always support,” Jeff Gural, owner of Tioga Downs, said. “Through the Tioga Downs Regional Community Foundation, we are proud to announce the first sixteen recipients that will share in $250,000 and we look forward to awarding additional grant monies in 2019.”

The Tioga Downs Regional Community Foundation is now accepting applications for 2019.  In 2019, $1 million will be paid out in two phases: the first phase will be in July 2019 and the second phase will be paid out in January 2020. Interested organizations looking to apply for funding can access the application here.

About Tioga Downs         

Tioga Downs, which opened in 2006, offers live harness racing, casino gaming, restaurants, golf and live entertainment.  Jeff Gural owns Tioga Downs in Nichols, New York as well as Vernon Downs in Vernon, New York.  Since opening the new casino in December 2016, Tioga Downs has expanded its gaming offerings to include 944 slot machines, 32 table games and a luxurious 12-table poker room, which is now affiliated with the World Series of Poker.  The Tioga Downs Hotel, which spans six stories and boasts 161 rooms, an events center and many other exciting amenities, officially opened in December 2017. Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs have created more than 1,000 family-sustaining jobs and donated millions to nonprofit organizations. For more information on Tioga Downs, please visit www.tiogadowns.com.