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CHRISTMAS -- Kewadin Casino workers loaded boxes of canned food donations and made their first drop-off at St. Vincent De Paul in Munising.

For the last 10 years the Kewadin Casinos in Christmas, St. Ignace, and Manistique have been participating in the TV6 Canathon.

"We see the times, we see the economy, we see what's going on in our communities. Everybody knows somebody, especially this time of year, that needs a little help. So it's nice to offer the ones that can; everybody's been there before," said Susan Labean, Shift Manager.

The Kewadin Casino is encouraging residents to donate in a different way. With the number of people visiting the casino, they are offering an incentive to those who bring in canned goods.

So how does it work? All you have to do is bring in three non-perishable food items, and they will give you five dollars of Kewadin credit for you to spend.

Kewadin officials say they normally see around 500 people a day come to gamble. If everyone donates, that's at least 1,500 canned items. Gerry Franz says they receive on average 40 to 55 families that get food from St. Vincent de Paul in Munising.

"This helps a lot, especially during the holidays. I mean there are so many people out of work, so many people with their jobs cut. They need food; they need it bad," said Franz.

Last year they raised almost 9,000 pounds of non-perishables, and they are hoping to double that amount this year. So if you are hoping for a win at the Kewadin casino, you can also make it a win for a neighbor in need.