More than $17 million awarded to Westmoreland County municipalities and organizations thanks to Live! Casino

Live! Casino celebrated the distribution of more than $17.2 million in grant funding to 69 municipalities and organizations across Westmoreland County on Thursday.

Each year, the casino sets aside a portion of its gaming revenue for the Local Share Account. The fund provides grants to townships, boroughs, cities and organizations for projects that benefit communities throughout the county.

"You have these municipalities, which are always struggling to be able to get money for their projects, for their roads, for their fire companies, for sewers, for everything," said state Sen. Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, whose district is home to Live! Casino. "And the state doesn't always just have that in our budget, right? I mean, we know what our budget is like. This is an add-on, and it really helps."

Since opening in 2020, Live! Casino has distributed more than $75 million through the Local Share Account to communities across Westmoreland County.

One of the largest grants awarded this year went to Greensburg, which received more than $968,000. Most of that funding will go toward a longevity project for the city's main parking garage, which serves hundreds of people each day.

Greensburg City Councilman Gregory Mertz said the funding will help the city protect an important public asset.

"People wouldn't believe how expensive it is to operate a parking garage," Mertz said. "Longevity is important. Annual maintenance is important. Things like road salt and things that melt the snow that get into the cement as there is a thaw and freeze. So, the city wants to be responsible and make sure we upkeep the garage and do our annual maintenance for years to come."