Deck The Hall

Spectra by Comcast Spectacor, the provider of Venue Management and Food Services & Hospitality to Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall and the Convention Center, have announced a renewed partnership with the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children of Atlantic and Cape May Counties to support neglected and abused children this holiday season. 

In conjunction and with the support of the CRDA and Press of Atlantic City, local businesses, organizations, arena partners, and individuals are invited to “Deck The Hall” by sponsoring a custom-decorated holiday tree which will be displayed at a private reception with individuals and agencies who help local children and families in the Boardwalk Hall lobby on Thursday, December 1, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and to the public for the remainder of the holiday season. Proceeds from the event will be donated directly to CASA to help recruit and train more volunteers to serve children living in the foster care system in Atlantic and Cape May counties.

“CRDA applauds Spectra for organizing this worthwhile event that helps the children of CASA”, said CRDA Executive Director, John Palmieri.

“We are extremely excited and appreciative of Spectra’s continued partnership with CASA for Children. The Deck the Hall Festival of Trees event is just one of the many ways that Spectra and their employees give back to the community, and we are honored to have been chosen as the beneficiary of this event for a second year,” said CASA’s Karen DeRosa, Director of Community Development. “This event provides a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges facing children living in foster care and highlight the need for CASA volunteers who support and guide these youth every day to reach their fullest potential. Spectra’s commitment to foster youth through this event will help CASA recruit and train more volunteer advocates, increase service to our youth and bring us closer to our goal of providing an advocate to every child living in foster care in Atlantic and Cape May Counties.”

CASA for Children recruits, trains, and supports citizen-volunteers who advocate for children in the community and ensures that a well-trained independent volunteer is able to voice timely and objective recommendations to the Family Court on behalf of a child. A child with a CASA volunteer is:

• Twice as likely to be adopted, than to linger in long-term foster care
• Half as likely to re-enter the foster care system
• More likely to have a plan for finding a permanent home, especially children of color
• More likely to have better educational achievement 

In Atlantic and Cape May Counties last fiscal year, 550 children had a CASA volunteer, a trusted adult who will stick with them until their case is resolved. Over 30% of children living in foster care spend more than two years in care and nearly 500 children are still waiting for a volunteer.

“As we come to a close to our third year in Atlantic City, Spectra by Comcast Spectacor is happy to help the local community again as we host the third annual Deck the Hall- Festival of Trees event.  This year we have decided to partner with CASA once again to support local children and to generate awareness about this great organization whose cause is often overlooked,” said Spectra’s Fran Rodowicz, General Manager of Boardwalk Hall.

To become a sponsor, please contact Erin Bilton at erin_bilton@comcastspectacor.com.

To date, the annual ‘Deck the Hall- Festival of Trees’ event has generated over $16,000 for local community organizations.  Last year, the event generated $10,000 for CASA and in 2014 over $6,000 was raised for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey Southern Branch to support those in need.

Boardwalk Hall and the Atlantic City Convention Center are owned and funded by the CRDA.