Tag: Wayzata City Council

Wayzata’s two charitable gambling organizations — the Wayzata Lions Club and Wayzata American Legion Post 118 — reported strong financial performance and growing community impact during an update to the Wayzata City Council on March 10.

Leaders from both groups described how charitable gambling revenues are helping fund local nonprofits, youth programs, veteran services, and community improvements across the region.

Wayzata Lions report record year

Tim Anderson of the Wayzata Lions Club opened the presentation with a review of the club’s community service work over the past year.

The Lions continue a long list of local initiatives, including Salvation Army bell ringing — an effort the club has supported for 15 to 20 years.

The club also participates in Wayzata’s Light Up the Lake event and organizes a popular Letters to Santa station, where children write holiday messages that Lions members later respond to. Anderson said the club collected 155 letters from children this year.

Other volunteer efforts include helping at Special Olympics events in Stillwater, supporting the Tour de Tonka diabetes fundraiser, and volunteering with Feed My Starving Children, where members pack meals for international hunger relief.

The Lions also continue their longstanding eyeglass collection program, gathering 4,239 pairs of glasses last yearthrough a network of about 24 collection sites across the region.

Beyond volunteer work, the club distributes significant charitable donations each year. Anderson said recent contributions included:

• Equipment funding for the Wayzata Fire Department
• Support for Interfaith Outreach, Hammer Residences, and The Retreat
• Donations to the Ridgedale Library and Hope Chest for Breast Cancer
• Funding for the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra and Blue Water Theatre
• Four $1,000 scholarships for Wayzata High School students through the Wayzata Education Fund

The club also partners with Senior Community Services and hosts holiday events for residents at Boardwalk Apartments, which Anderson noted is one of Wayzata’s Section 8 housing properties.

Looking ahead, the Lions plan to assist with improvements at Gullickson Field near Gleason Lake, including new paint, rock work, and signage.

Gambling revenue drives charitable giving

Nancy Nelson, the Lions Club’s lawful gambling manager, reported that the club’s charitable gambling operation posted record results during its most recent fiscal year.

Gross gambling revenue reached $5.3 million, the first time the organization has surpassed the $5 million mark.

Those revenues allowed the Lions to distribute $150,500 in charitable donations, also a record for the organization. Nelson said the previous high had been around $109,000.

Since the club’s founding in 1954, Nelson said the Wayzata Lions have now donated more than $4 million to charitable causes.

Nine months into the current fiscal year, operations remain strong. Nelson said electronic pull tabs and E-Link Bingo have helped boost revenue while traditional paper games remain a core part of the operation.

The Lions currently hold a five-star rating from the Minnesota Gambling Control Board, a designation awarded to organizations that direct more than 50 percent of net proceeds to charitable purposes. Nelson also noted the club has maintained clean regulatory audits.

Legion gambling supports veterans and community

Doug Carter, the relatively new commander of Wayzata American Legion Post 118, also provided an update on the Legion’s charitable gambling program.

Carter, a U.S. Navy veteran who served alongside Marine units at Camp Huntington and during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, said the organization has benefited significantly from the addition of electronic pull tabs and paper pull tabs.

Historically, the Legion relied primarily on bingo and meat raffles, which Carter said barely covered operational costs as membership declined and the organization’s veteran base aged.

“With the diminishing membership and increasing member age, by adding electronic pull tabs and paper pull tabs our membership benefits have increased and the benefits to the community have increased as well,” Carter told the council.

For the current fiscal year, which runs July 1 through June 30, the Legion has generated approximately $1.86 million in gross revenue through February, averaging about $240,000 per month.

If the pace continues, Carter said the organization expects to reach about $2.82 million in revenue for the fiscal year, roughly a 15 percent increase compared with the prior year.

The Legion currently distributes about 84 percent of its net proceeds to charitable causes, which also qualifies the organization for a five-star rating with the state.

Carter said roughly 60 percent of the Legion’s charitable giving supports veterans organizations, while about 40 percent goes to community causes.

Recent recipients include:

• Plymouth–Wayzata Youth Baseball and Softball
• D.A.R.E. programs
• Gillette Children’s Hospital
• HopeKids
• The Randy Shaver Cancer Research Fund
• Sharing and Caring Hands
• Wayzata Crime Prevention Coalition

Gambling revenues have also helped fund improvements to the Legion building itself. Carter said the organization recently added a third ADA-accessible restroom to better accommodate aging members and guests.

Partnership across the community

Both organizations emphasized their cooperative relationship with the city and with one another.

Mayor Andrew Mullin noted that when Wayzata allowed multiple charitable gambling licenses in the city, some had feared the organizations would compete for limited revenue.

Instead, he said, both groups appear to be thriving.

“We appreciate the relationship that we have with the city and with the Lions,” Carter said. “We look at it as a team to benefit the community, and we’re all working well together.”

City council members thanked both organizations for their service and contributions to the community.

Between the Lions and Legion operations, charitable gambling continues to generate millions of dollars in local economic activity and hundreds of thousands of dollars in charitable donations each year, supporting a wide range of programs across the Wayzata area.