NATIONAL GAMBLING IMPACT STUDY COMMISSION

JANE FLIPPING

Jane -- is it Flipping, Flipping?

MS. FLIPPING: Yes. Thank you.

CHAIRMAN JAMES: Welcome.

MS. FLIPPING: Good evening, and welcome to Atlantic City.

CHAIRMAN JAMES: Thank you.

MS. FLIPPING: It's the brand new Atlantic City that we want you to know about, and it's a city where I have raised two sons who joined the service through the Marines and the Air Corps, left after ten years and came back to this city to join the Greater Atlantic City Police Department. One is captain, and another one is a patrolman who walks the streets and keeps our children safe.

It's a city where I co-founded the first integrated nursery school in 1950, which was licensed by the State of New Jersey, and then I went on to join the school system here, taught for any number of years; then worked with the local Community Action Agency in 1967 to bring Head Start programs in the city; served in that agency for some 15 years, when I joined the committee to bring gaming here.

And I'm proud that I was a part of that gaming committee because it gave me an opportunity to work with the Claridge Casino Hotel as assistant to the president for community affairs and equal employment.

Currently, I retired from the Claridge in 1994, and of course, anyone who lives in Atlantic City who does anything never retires. I'm working now as Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club in Atlantic City, where we have a six core basic educational and cultural improvement program for young children, and I'm basically here to attest to the facts and the benefits that casino gaming has brought to Atlantic City and also to our youth, not only to the Boys and Girls Clubs, but also to the school system and other parts where many of the casinos have joined forces and have adopted the school programs.

We have benefitted at the Boys and Girls Clubs through the benefits of gaming by not only monies, but also from the employees who have donated their time and done other kinds of things for us.

But most importantly I'm here to tell you that after 25 years of the Boys and Girls Clubs in this area, we are now ready to ground break for a new facility, 2.8 million, 18,000 square feet, and it's being provided by the Bally Hilton Casino reinvestment funds.

Twenty-five years we've been here, and it's only been since gaming that we have been able to reach this plateau.

I'm sure you're familiar with the Boys and Girls Clubs nationally. You know that there have been many studies done in regard to the effects of Boys and Girls Clubs in communities.

I'm reminded that last year the government gave $100 million to Boys and Girls Clubs nationally to open new clubs. This year another $30 million, and we are the recipients of that through the efforts of bringing gaming here and the good work that we can do.

And I thank you.

CHAIRMAN JAMES: Thank you, Jane.