The Eureka Community Initiative has been doing good deeds for the Virgin Valley Community for the past 12 years. You have seen the name mentioned in the newspaper and on social media, but might not be sure of what it means or what its purpose is.

Gerri Chasko, Director of the Eureka Community Imitative since its inception, told the Progress that Eureka CEO Andre Carrier and his brother from another mother (as they both always like say), Greg Lee, whose late parents built the casino, are both very philanthropic and wanted a way to give back and be a help to the community.

In the early years they belonged to the Mesquite Resort Association that contributed to local charities every year. However, they decided they could do more on their own and established the Eureka Community Initiative.

The Initiative created program goals for the benefit of the community. Many of them work with the valley schools through Mesquite Read, a program offering free books to elementary students to read. They stepped up to save a mental health program at the school for which the district was cutting funding. Same with the culinary arts program. Some of the programs, like culinary arts at the high school, are very costly programs to start and maintain. The culinary art program had a $150,000 startup cost, and the Initiative provides continuous help of $1,500 per month for food for the classes. The Initiative works with local nonprofits like the Rotary Club. Together they run Mesquite Reads and the Summer lunch program at Beaver Dam Elementary School.

Local nonprofits can ask for help with their programs or might need a place to hold a fundraiser. Chasko said, “Anywhere our employees have children in school, we adopt those schools.”

You will find Gerri Chasko sitting on many community Boards and committees, like the Mesa View Hospital board, The Arts Council and the Tourism Steering Committee. Chasko likes to initiate fun events that will in turn make money for the local nonprofits, like Shreek Reeka and the lip sync contest.

The official Statement from the Resort for the Initiative says, “Formed in 2012, the Eureka Community Initiative is a direct result of the desire to find solutions to problems and the will to help people realize their full potential. We believe, together, our best selves can be a conduit to transform the lives of others. Eureka employee-owners are invested in creative collaboration to provide measurable impacts in our core areas of focus including: Education, Citizenship, Outreach and Economic Development. Through the dedicated efforts of Eureka employee-owners, over fifty programs and events have been completed for the Mesquite community.” Through the years, they’ve continued to honor that statement for the benefit of the Virgin Valley community.