Riverside Casino wins statewide volunteering challenge

Riverside Casino & Golf Resort won the seventh annual Give Back Iowa Challenge in the large business category, a statewide volunteering campaign that encourages employees to volunteer and log their hours.

Companies across the state logged 17,000 volunteer hours in the competition that ran from April 1 — May 31, Volunteer Iowa’s Executive Director Adam Lounsbury said in a news release.

“Iowans have always and will continue to step up and serve their communities in times of need, as this challenge demonstrates year after year,” he said.

Riverside was one of 24 employers in the contest, which was separated into two categories: small businesses with less than 500 employees and large businesses with more than 500 employees.

Success was measured by dividing hours volunteered by the number of employees for each organization to get an average per employee.

Betsy Shelton, communications and engagement officer for Volunteer Iowa, said Riverside Casino employees volunteered 1,682 hours. With 586 employees, the average was 2.87 hours per employee.

The honorable mention in the large category, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, volunteered an average of 2.16 hours per employee. The winner of the small business competition was United Way of East Central Iowa, and the honorable mention was Reiman Gardens in Ames.

The winners will receive a small plaque, Shelton said, and may get a visit from Gov. Kim Reynolds or Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg. Visits from the governor and lieutenant governor happened in years before 2020, and Shelton said they’re working to schedule visits again.

The number of participating employers was reduced this year, Shelton said, as the effects of the pandemic discouraged some volunteering. Of the 24 businesses who registered, only 17 ended up logging hours.

She said studies show offering volunteering opportunities is good for employer motivation and contentment at work.

“We try to make it a fun way for employers to encourage their employees to be active in their communities,” she said.