By Suzanne Paulman
Wildwood Casino General Manager Kevin Werner
Did you know that the Cripple Creek Wildwood Casino General Manager Kevin Werner was a jailbird? Actually, Werner was only a mock jailbird this September when he participated in Wildwood’s Charity of the Month fundraiser for Jerry’s Kids and the Colorado Springs Muscular Dystrophy Association program. Werner agreed to be placed behind bars until enough money could be raised to bail him out as part of Wildwood’s total $1,850 donation to the muscular dystrophy charities.
Each month Wildwood selects a charity to sponsor as part of their spirit of giving back to the community. The casino donates a minimum of $1,000 to the selected charity and often sponsors an extra fundraising event as well. During last May, Wildwood partnered with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization to raise funds for cancer education, screening and treatment. Wildwood sponsored a Throw a Pie for Charity fundraiser where casino guests and other participants could purchase a pie to throw at a casino host—none other than volunteer extraordinaire, GM Werner.
The exterior of the Wildwood Casino
Casino guests and employees are also able to contribute to Wildwood’s continuous Charity of the Month program. Guests may donate earned cash-back rewards points or cash to the designated charity at the Guest Service Center. Employees are allowed to wear jeans to work Monday through Thursday with a $2 donation for each day they wear jeans. The $2 donation is equally split with $1 going toward the Charity of the Month and $1 going to an internal employee emergency assistance support organization, the Sunshine Fund.
Werner really cares about his employees and said, “Without our employees, we’re nothing.”
He realizes that the gaming industry has not been immune to the recent ongoing recession.
“When business goes down, tips go down,” and employees earn less. To help alleviate a financial crunch, an employee can request assistance through the Sunshine Fund. If the fund’s committee denies the financial request, Werner will step in and offer advice and other tangible support to the employee. He’s fiercely dedicated to making employees “feel good about working here.”
Werner has been with the casino since its opening day in 2008 and proudly points out that it’s the nicest (and newest) building in Cripple Creek. Wildwood is billed as a Vegas-style casino – big and beautiful – with 58,000 square feet of floor space featuring 625 slot machines, blackjack, craps, roulette and poker games. The casino offers other amenities such as a gift shop and three restaurants specializing in different cuisine: Ruby Tuesday with its gourmet fare, Fireside Kitchen with its late-night dining, and Saddle Bar with on-tap microbrews and home-style meals. Freshly made sweet treats are available at The Donut Mill, an ice cream and donut bar. A 68-room hotel offers special stay-and-play packages and has a 225,000 square foot enclosed climate controlled parking garage.
The 24/7 Vegas-style beauty attracts guests and Werner wants to keep them by earning their loyalty.
“If something happens to upset a guest, my personal missions is to follow-up,” he said.
Another part of Wildwood’s keeping their guests’ loyalty is to find out what they want, what’s important to them, and “what we should do more of.” Guests are encouraged to fill out comments on either paper or online surveys. Recent surveys have revealed the casino’s “true number one attribute” is that guests really like Wildwood’s employees. Werner wants to focus on improving guest service even more in 2011.
“We want to touch as many guests as possible,” he said.
Stay in touch with Wildwood’s super promotions by visiting www.playwildwood.com or calling 719-244-9700. Wildwood’s fabulous September through January $1,000,000 Pro Football Challenge will be finishing up on Saturday, Jan. 8. Special drawings for non-winning tickets will be held at 7 p.m. for $500, at 8 p.m. for another $500 and 9 p.m. for $1,000. Be sure to also find out what the next exciting Charity of the Month fun fundraiser will be and what Werner will be doing as he good-naturedly supports the cause. Whatever it is, he’s bound to “play wild.”
