The South Jersey shore community — along with celebs from across the country — come together for post-Sandy relief and to let folks know Atlantic City is open (and the Boardwalk) for business.
Hundreds of people took part in a free event to celebrate A.C.’s most important icon — the Boardwalk — on a beautiful and unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon, Nov. 11. The “Board-Walk” began at the south end of the boards near the Atlantic Club Casino Resort and ended at Revel to the north.
ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY — More than two weeks following the landfall of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey, which has killed 113 in the United States as of Monday, Nov. 12, some of the areas in the path of Sandy (including Atlantic and Cape May counties in New Jersey) are slowly recovering.
While the international media seemed to think that the Atlantic City Boardwalk was in ruins due to Sandy and that the resort town was utterly devastated — some parts of it were and families are still picking up the pieces of their lives in Atlantic City and up and down the Jersey shore — the main part of the Atlantic City Boardwalk is intact and all 12 casinos re-opened after a Sandy shutdown by Monday, Nov. 5, most earlier.
There have been national and local Sandy relief fundraisers, donations, concerts and events over the past two weeks, with more to follow.
Carrie Underwood, for example, who performed a sold-out show at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on Friday, Nov. 9, said she'd be donating all of the concert proceeds to the victims of Sandy.
Earlier that day, the Atlantic City Convention Center was transformed into a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center.
2012 ShopRite LPGA champ Stacy Lewis donated $20,000 to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey's Southern Branch.
On Monday, the Avalon Lions Club presented the FoodBank with a $2,000 cash donation for WMGM's (Longport Media) 5th annual Operation Help event, which kicks off this Saturday.
Likewise, Wolfgang Puck, in Atlantic City Saturday, Nov. 10, for the Borgata's fifth annual culinary extravaganza Savor Borgata, took time for a book-signing with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross Southern Shore Chapter.
Borgata has also partnered with the Red Cross to aid Hurricane Sandy victims. (See details here.)
At Revel, Revel Nightlife Relief was the theme last weekend with Afrojack and other top DJs at the HQ Nightclub. Revel Nightlife Relief efforts raised more than $75,000 for the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund (SandyNJReliefFund.org).
Caesars Entertainment, which operates four casinos in Atlantic City — Bally's, Caesars, Harrah's Resort and Showboat — has held several relief and clean-up oriented events (see video) and made donations for its many employees and those in the local community affected by Sandy. It's Atlantic City billboards do not promote any upcoming shows at the current time, but rather feature Sandy-related slogans.
Even Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy which is promoting this weekend's big fight at Boardwalk Hall between Antonio DeMarco and Adrien Broner, will be donating $2 per ticket and $1,000 per knockout to the Atlantic City Boys & Girls Club. De La Hoya and Caesars will match the donations. There are several fights on the card and the event will be televised on HBO (10pm EST) on Saturday night, Nov. 17.
By Tuesday morning, Nov. 13, areas of Atlantic City, Margate, Ventnor, Linwood, Pleasantville and West Atlantic City were still reeling from Sandy damage, with piles of bashed housing, soaked possessions, broken tree branches and "dead couches" lining the sidewalks.
Attention all! Atlantic City is back in business and has been since last fall. The Boardwalk is intact and open. All 12 casino properties are open. Most of the area’s businesses are open.
“We must commit to continuing to create memories for future generations. I want this to be a smart, quick recovery, but a heartfelt one as well. I hope this is your mission too.”
The recently publicized statistics telling us there are still upwards of 30 percent of the population on the East Coast who think that the Boardwalk was completely ruined and that most casinos are still not fully operational means we have a lot of work to do.
Many employees at Caesars Entertainment's four properties in Atlantic City — Caesars, Bally's, Harrah's Resort and Showboat — were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. Now they will be getting help thanks to the culinary skills of acclaimed chef Chris Scarduzio.
The proceeds from the Atlantic City show — tickets ($75 and $150) go on sale Nov. 30 at 10am — are going to aid victims of Superstorm/Hurricane Sandy.
FEMA even hired local residents to help out with the pick-up. One day, I saw at least 15 young people following Department of Public Works trucks because regular employees could not keep up with the amount of flood-damaged goods.
I received more than a few calls, e-mails and Facebook messages asking why the concert was being staged at Madison Square Garden and not at Boardwalk Hall.
The hottest people and coolest happenings around the Atlantic City region. This week, Carrie Underwood, Wolfgang Puck and Savor Borgata, Afrojack at HQ plus more!
At one point early in her show at Boardwalk Hall, Carrie Underwood said that there had been a discussion about postponing the concert because the Sandy disaster was so recent. It was decided, however, that, ”This building was still here and that must be for a reason.”
The hottest people and coolest happenings around the Atlantic City region. This week President Barack Obama and Gov. Chris Christie!
Fifth annual Savor Borgata Event features an expanded menu including cooking demonstrations by superstar chefs Wolfgang Puck, Bobby Flay.
"Since the national media showed so many images of a city underwater and a broken Boardwalk, we launched the 'Can DO AC' blog. It includes pictures of the city ready and open for business."
Obama: "I want to thank all the first responders who have been involved in this process -- the linesmen, the firefighters, the folks who were in here shuttling out people who were supposed to 'get the hell out' and didn’t."
With a stellar lineup slated for this weekend, Nov. 9-11, the club, in collaboration with associates Angel Management Group, the EMM Group and Revel, will be utilizing the performances from all three nights, and the revenue they generate, as an opportunity to reach out to a local community in dire need.
Not heeding pending-storm evacuation orders is never a wise move, but it can afford a better appreciation for what workers are up against when making barrier islands safe for return.
Once again, greetings and salutations. Hopefully, after the terrible impact of Sandy on the Jersey shore, everyone is readjusting and rebuilding. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes something as traumatic as this to bring people together, with neighbors and strangers lending a helping hand during and after the storm. It shows what Americans are capable of and what we’re truly about. Now let’s get to your questions. Even with all the photos and news reports, it’s difficult for us here on the West Coast to fully grasp the intensity of the damage and the trauma Hurricane Sandy has generated for so many in NJ and NY. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who were impacted in any way. With you on the air and at your club dates, it will help uplift the spirits of all of your fans everywhere. There are very few that are blessed with ability to do that in both good times and bad. I don’t [know] what happened to Memories in Margate...
The latest Sandy storm coverage for the Atlantic City, New Jersey area.
Nearly 11,000 people came out for the charity game, which has been hailed as a big success by organizers, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for the victims of Sandy.
Article:
Danielle Gomes on Her New Book 'Hit Me!'
Article:
Forsythe Refuge to Host Grand Reopening of Wildlife Drive
Article:
Waterfront Sculpture Park Announced for Atlantic City
Article:
Annette Funicello Dies at 70
Article:
Thumbs Down: Roger Ebert Dies at Age 70
Article:
Forsythe Refuge Wildlife Drive to Reopen on Weekends
Article:
Spring Shopping Spree at Pier Shops at Caesars
Article:
Who Let the Dogs Out
1. Sherry Ormand said... on Nov 14, 2012 at 12:52PM
“Bless all of you in the Garden State and New York. I know for myself and many friends, we will be coming to Atlantic City and New York City this holiday season - at least once! - for the Boardwalk, holiday atmosphere, shopping etc. Let's all be thankful for what we have and work together to make this country a better place. It all starts at home!!”