Caesars gives $20k scholarships to Las Vegas employees’ dependents

The Don Carano Legacy Scholarship goes to the dependents of Caesars team members who are high school seniors or already enrolled in college. The scholarship is for $5,000 a year, renewable for up to four years.

Don Carano, who died in 2017 at 85, founded Eldorado Resorts in Reno in 1973 and built it into a gaming powerhouse. Eldorado bought Caesars Entertainment in 2020, and the new company retained the Caesars name.

Anthony Carano, chief operating officer for Caesars and the grandson of Don Carano, said the scholarship stems from his grandfather’s commitment to treating employees “like family.”

“He always considered education a fundamental building block, and I know he would be so proud to help open doors for our team members’ families,” Anthony Carano said in a statement. “Congratulations to all the recipients of this year’s award. We can’t wait to continue to watch these young people flourish over the next four years.”

The seven Las Vegas-area scholarship recipients (listed with their affiliated property) are Isabella Gabaldon (Bally’s), Katrina Renee Garcia (Harrah’s), Nailah Hicks (Paris), Abigail Lozoya Tremillo (Harrah’s), Hunter Walker (Caesars Palace), Annie Wang (Harrah’s) and Megan Xiong (The Linq Hotel).

In a note to the recipients, Caesars officials said they reviewed more than 100 applications.

“We were incredibly impressed by the applicants for our inaugural year,” Caesars CEO Tom Reeg said in a statement. “Supporting our team members is our top priority, and that means supporting their families as well.”

The Carano scholarship is part of Caesars’ recently launched All-in On Education program for employees, which offers low- to no-cost education, tuition reimbursement, student loan debt repayment options and college savings plan options.

Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.