Colonial Downs Group Announces All Rosie’s Gaming Emporium Employees to Be Paid Through April
Posted on March 25th, 2020
***Company Also Announces Initiative to Provide 20,000 Free Meals to Virginia’s Community Heroes in the Fight Against the Coronavirus***
Rosie’s Kitchens Will Prepare 20,000 “Grab and Go” Meals for Public Safety, Health Care Professionals, and All Other Essential Personnel Required to Work During This Unprecedented Time
Details: www.rosiesgaming.com/rosiesgivesback
Richmond, VA – March 25, 2020 – Colonial Downs Group, which operates Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums in Richmond, Hampton, New Kent County and Vinton, and the Colonial Downs Racetrack also in New Kent County, announced this morning that they will continue to pay all company employees through the end of April. This continues a policy first announced on March 15th when the company initially closed its facilities in the Commonwealth. In addition the company will now transition its Rosie’s Kitchens and kitchen staff to providing 20,000 free “grab and go” meals for Virginia’s community heroes serving on the front lines of the state’s ongoing response to the coronavirus pandemic. Meals will be provided in each region in which the company has a facility, in consultation with local officials and businesses serving the public during this period.
Speaking about these announcements, Aaron Gomes, Chief Operating Officer for Colonial Downs Group, remarked, “Like all Virginians, we are trying to navigate through an incredibly stressful and difficult time. We want our employees to know we are taking every step possible to get them through this period, and that we value their service. That’s why we raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour last year at all of our facilities, and it’s why we are taking this action today. We hope this announcement provides the men and women who work at Rosie’s with some peace of mind in this challenging moment.”
Gomes continued, adding, “At the same time we know that so many of our friends, family and neighbors have to be out there every day on the front line of this fight against the coronavirus. With our facilities closed we have the capacity to help them, in our own small way, by using our kitchens to provide free meals to Virginia’s community heroes: the police officers, doctors, nurses, firefighters, grocery store employees and all those who are stepping up to serve their fellow Virginians. We will work with local leaders and businesses in the localities in which we operate to identify where we can be most helpful in this effort. We hope this partnership helps make a positive difference in the weeks ahead.”
Rosie’s will offer the meals effective April 1 and will starting taking orders for pick up on March 30.
Rosie’s employees will be paid in full for this one-month period. Employee paychecks, paid time off and benefits will not be affected. Rosie’s employees have been encouraged to seek medical attention if they experience symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Colonial Downs Group has said any time spent away from work as a result of COVID-19 will not impact employees.
