Las Vegas Sands Announces Recipient of Adelson Citizenship Award

Las Vegas Sands named Erik Weiner the winner of The Mr. Sheldon G. and Dr. Miriam Adelson Citizenship Award presented by Sands Cares.  Weiner is a training coordinator at Sands Bethlehem in Pennsylvania.  The inaugural award was established through Sands Cares, the company’s corporate giving program, to recognize Team Members across all regions who have demonstrated a dedication to giving back to their local communities and important causes.  The award was created to honor the Adelson family’s long-term commitment to philanthropy and the legacy of giving that they have instilled in the company.

The 12 finalists, named Sands Cares Heroes of the Year, were selected during the first quarter of 2017 out of 182 total nominations worldwide and were chosen by executives in their respective regions based on their volunteer efforts with Sands Cares and other outside organizations.  All finalists were invited to Las Vegas to attend a ceremony on April 26 to accept their Sands Cares Heroes Awards.

“From a very young age, my father instilled in me that giving to those less fortunate was the right thing to do,” Sheldon G. Adelson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Las Vegas Sands said.  “There is no better way to give than to volunteer one’s time to help someone in need.  Each of our 12 Sands Cares Heroes set exemplary examples that should be modeled by each and every one of us.  I could not be more proud to have such fine individuals representing Las Vegas Sands.”

Weiner works tirelessly to promote initiatives on a local, state and national level.  He is working on the Pennsylvania State Amber Alert System to include specific information necessary for first responders when interacting with individuals with disabilities for health conditions.  He is also spearheading the design and implementation of “Growth Through Opportunity,” a program dedicated to providing valuable job and social skills to young adults with unique challenges enabling them to volunteer with local police departments within the state of Pennsylvania.

“Working for a company that encourages this level of volunteerism is tremendous,” Weiner said.  “Being able to work with fellow Team Members to go out into the community and insight change and progress really is an amazing thing and it makes you feel really good. We have an opportunity in the community to do great things and it is a huge passion of mine. I believe it’s truly up to all of us to instill that passion, growth and opportunity within the community that we serve.”            

Mr. Weiner also serves as the Director of the Bucks County Down Syndrome Interest Group; Board Member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Down Syndrome Center; Ambassador of the National Down Syndrome Society; Co-Director of the Pennsylvania Down Syndrome Coalition and, most recently, Ambassador for Parent to Parent in Pennsylvania. Mr. Weiner partners in policymaking, which covers training individuals with disabilities, assisting parents of young children with disabilities and university graduate students by providing them up-to-date information, leadership training and skill-building. He also focuses his energy on Project Max, which is building the capacity of Pennsylvania Schools and Intermediate Units to provide students with complex instructional needs.  

The 12 finalists and Sands Cares Heroes included:

• Singapore Finalists: Alicia Lau, Mohamad “Noor” Bin Spono, and Jonathan Vista
• Macao Finalists: Martin Ieong Lap Kun, Thomas Chan Iek Cheong, and Joyce Tam Mei Heng
• Bethlehem Finalists: Pam Burgio, William Romero, and Erik Weiner
• Las Vegas Finalists: Biar Atem, Tina Peetris, and Eric Vozzola