Here’s a look at a few more of the special celebrations recently held by Delaware North locations to mark the company’s 100th anniversary. More celebrations will be profiled each week during the 100-day anniversary celebration through early December.
The Delaware North Sportservice team at Busch Stadium – home of Major League Baseball’s St. Louis 
Cardinals – certainly set the bar high, with a celebration not soon to be forgotten, especially thanks to most of it being caught on video. Staff from Busch Stadium contributed more than 100 hours of manpower alongside the St. Louis chapter of Habitat for Humanity to build homes for three hardworking families. Rory Schroeder, Delaware North’s general manager at Busch Stadium, praised his team, saying, “I am really proud of the team and everyone who joined in to support the project.”
The celebrations in St. Louis were just getting started, though.
Delaware North’s leadership team at the ballpark added a bit of star power to the party as Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright and club manager Mike Matheny were among those to welcome Delaware North Co-CEO Jerry Jacobs Jr., who later toured Cardinals Nation with Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III. Prior to the team’s game that evening, DeWitt III and his father, Cardinals managing partner and chairman Bill DeWitt II, held an on-the-field presentation in which they honored Jacobs with an engraved wine bottle – signed by several Cardinals Hall of Famers, including Tony LaRussa, Ozzie Smith and Lou Brock. Anheuser-Busch/InBev VP of National Accounts Chris Williams also recognized Delaware North’s 100th anniversary by presenting Jacobs with a gift featuring the famed Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales.
Of course, Delaware North’s team and St. Louis wouldn’t have pulled off its celebration without the dedication of its associates – many of whom are featured a can't-miss video, which can be found by clicking here.
On Sept. 29, Delaware North’s associates at Agganis Arena at Boston University celebrated the company’s centennial over birthday cake and took part in an associate raffle that featured a fitting grand prize – a popcorn machine. A food drive that is set to run through November was also kicked off as a part of the location’s community service project.
Associates at the Wisconsin Exposition Center celebrated with a $1,500 donation to the Wisconsin State Fair Foundation. The foundation provides scholarships to students in Wisconsin who are pursuing agriculture-based studies. A commemorative park bench with the inscription “Delaware North Sportservice 2015 – Celebrating Our 100th Anniversary” is scheduled to arrive at the location this fall.
Denver’s Road Home, a foundation started by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock to end homelessness in the city, received a $2,500 donation from Delaware North on behalf its associates at the Denver International Airport. The airport client then presented Delaware North with a plaque, praising a successful food and beverage partnership that has spanned two decades. Each associate at the airport’s three concourses received commemorative company-branded cups, T-shirts and cake.
Building upon Delaware North’s foundation of “it all started with popcorn and peanuts,” associates at Hamburg Gaming hosted its 100th birthday bash with a movie-themed gala on Sept. 24. Larger-than-life popcorn containers and an accompanying theater-like menu featuring peanuts and popcorn greeted team members who strolled in off the red carpet that led the way to the festivities. A lip-sync battle spanning a century of music forced associates to duel each other as songs such as “Harper Valley PTA,” “Material Girl” and “Tough Lover” blared throughout the venue. The nearly 150 team members in attendance had even more fun with a movie trivia contest and a cash-cube game.
The Manchester Airport Group (MAG) teamed up with Delaware North to throw a tea party in London Stansted Airport’s Escape Lounge. Guests were met with Prosecco and Pimm’s, along with the selection of freshly-made finger sandwiches, cupcakes, mini Victoria sponges and fruit scones with clotted cream and jam. Operations Director Nils Braude came to join in the celebrations, along with Gill Bell, the MAG lounge manager, who added: “It’s great to be working in partnership with Delaware North during its centenary year and sharing in the celebrations. I’m sure they’ll go for another 100 years!”
McGavock High School’s culinary academy received $2,000 from Delaware North’s team at the Nashville International Airport as a way to share the joy of the company’s 100th anniversary. The academy was established seven years ago and mentors students who will earn ServSafe certifications and gain extensive knowledge on food safety and sanitation over the course of the three-year program. Associates also received the opportunity to win special gifts at the airport’s 100th anniversary party by spinning a “wheel of fortune” for a chance to win dinner at one of Delaware North’s restaurants in the airport.
Delaware North invited authorities from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport to support the city of New Orleans by cleaning up the Edible Schoolyard New Orleans at Phillis Wheatley Community School. A team of 17 volunteers for the cleanup consisted of Delaware North General Manager Sayed Mekhemar and New Orleans Avaiation Board Member Eric Friedman along with managers and employees. Together they provided four hours of services planting herbs, landscaping the garden and painting the facility.
Delaware North-owned-and-operated Southland Park Gaming & Racing in West Memphis, Ark., held a special tree-planting ceremony to commemorate the centennial. In attendance at the tree-planting was President and General Manager Troy Keeping, who also serves as regional vice president of Delaware North’s gaming business; Deb Murray, vice president of marketing for Delaware North’s gaming business; Southland Park Board Member Herschel Owens; associate Nikki Hunt; and valued guest Deanna Hitchcock. Afterward, 100 of the gaming venue’s guests were invited to join in on the fun by lighting sparklers in front of the property in the shape of a “100.”
The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake held a commemorative 100th anniversary luau, featuring a festive barbecue-style lunch complete with fire-dancing and cupcakes. As the fun ensued, luau guests were encouraged to donate to the Early Learning Center in Ashtabula, Ohio, for preschoolers who require special education.
Yellowstone General Stores celebrated Delaware North’s 100 years of excellence with three events at different stores in Yellowstone National Park, where the company operates a dozen stores with retail and food and beverage services. All celebrations included a “proud past, inspired future” presentation by Yellowstone General Stores General Manager Cendy Sangermano, an interpretive talk from the park rangers and cupcakes for associates and guests. At Mammoth General Store, Sangermano and Jim Houser, president of Delaware North’s parks and resorts business, presented a $10,000 check to the Yellowstone Park Foundation for Expedition Yellowstone scholarships. This donation will enable 200 students (fourth grade through eighth grade) to attend the five-day, curriculum-based program in Yellowstone. The program teaches students about the natural and cultural history of the park, investigates current issues affecting the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem and promotes stewardship and preservation of all parks and surrounding communities. In honor of Delaware North’s efforts to conduct “100 acts of green,” Yellowstone’s facilities and maintenance team completed an LED lighting retrofit at the Old Faithful Upper store. The retrofit involved replacing nearly 200 light bulbs from fixtures above the retail floor. The new energy-efficient LED bulbs will save up to 60 percent on energy consumption and last nearly five times longer than the previous light bulbs.
PHOTO CAPTION: Delaware North Co-CEO Jerry Jacobs Jr. (right) accepts a commemorative wine bottle from Bill DeWitt II (left) and Bill DeWitt III (center) in a pre-game presentation.