CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees) Update, Summer 2017
The Prince family – Gavin (8), Brenden (5), mom Stephanie and dad Jeff – met CORE for dinner at the ARIA Cafe in Las Vegas, Nevada last month.
If you work as a food and beverage service employee, a medical diagnosis, car accident or house fire that happens in a split second can be financially and emotionally devastating. Luckily, for those food employees that have children, CORE can help. CORE is a national 501(c)(3) organization that supports children of food and beverage service employees navigating life-altering circumstances. Since 2004, CORE has provided support to over 165 families and raised over $2.5 million. With families, donors and supporters across the industry and the country, CORE is an amazing resource for food and beverage employees in times of dire need.
When Gavin Prince (age 8) was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma in April 2016, his mom Stephanie took a leave from her job at Gilley’s Saloon inside Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada where the Prince family lives. Gavin’s dad, Jeff, also works at Treasure Island and was able to keep working through Gavin’s diagnosis. Since then, Gavin has gone through three surgeries, 30 radiation treatments and multiple chemotherapy treatments. He still has a few chemotherapy sessions before he’s done with treatment. Gavin is a serious, sweet boy who likes dinosaurs (his favorite is the stegosaurus) and the Los Angeles Kings (Jeff used to play hockey in Canada, eh!). Gavin’s younger brother Brenden (age 6) is funny and high-spirited, and loves to make his big brother laugh. Jeff recently got a Batman tattoo commemorating Gavin’s battle with Medulloblastoma, and Brenden has made sure his dad knows he wants his own spot on his dad’s arm with a Flash tattoo!
To support the Prince family while Gavin is finishing treatment, CORE helped pay their mortgage and purchase gas cards. CORE representatives were able to meet the Prince family for dinner while out in Las Vegas for the HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo and Nightclub & Bar Show in March 2017. We had dinner with the family at the ARIA Resort & Casino ARIA Café, and afterwards moved across the lobby for gelato. The sweetest moment of the night, though, came when we were saying our goodbyes to the family and Gavin asked, “When can we see them again?”
Help CORE support families like the Princes! There’s a way for everyone to support CORE and give back to our own! You can refer a food and beverage service family for support at COREgives.org, become a COREporate member or event sponsor, become a CORE Ambassador or host your own promotion or event to benefit CORE. For more information, visit us at COREgives.org or call 404-655-4690.
There were smiles all around after dinner, along with gelato at the ARIA Cafe. Gavin and Brenden with CORE staff: (from left, back row) Program Coordinator Kristen Davis, Executive Director Lauren LaViola, and Program Director Emily Kilduff.
