Raiders: Henderson Country Club Fined $10k After Hosting Darren Waller's Charity Dinner

The Las Vegas Raiders sparked criticism recently when several prominent members of the team [...]

The Las Vegas Raiders sparked criticism recently when several prominent members of the team attended a charity dinner for the Darren Waller Foundation. They helped raise more than $300,000 to help young people dealing with drug and alcohol addiction but also violated COVID-19 guidelines in Nevada. Now the country club that hosted the charity dinner, Dragonridge Country Club, has received a significant fine.

According to FOX5 in Las Vegas, Nevada OSHA fined the country club $10,930 for an event that "did not comply with COVID-19 safety directives." The summary said that the club "hosted an event at which employees where the 50-person limit of attendees was exceeded, and face coverings were not being worn as required." The city of Henderson also fined Dragonridge $2,000 for event violations.

Footage surfaced after the event that showed several attendees and players not wearing masks while mingling at the charity dinner. The NFL also opted to fine 10 members of the team that attended the event. Tight end Darren Waller, who hosted the dinner, received a $30,000 fine. Similarly, quarterback Derek Carr received a $15,000 fine for his role in the dinner.

"I'll just say this: We've done a good job," head coach Jon Gruden said about the event, per ESPN. "We've done an excellent job. Last night, it was addressed with our players. They walked in with their masks on; there was an event. Photos, though, show players without masks upon arrival. No one's talked about [the event]; He's raised over $300,000 for a great cause. I appreciate our players being there in support of him. But you're right. They may have let their dauber down a little bit by taking their masks off during the event. But it's been addressed and that's the best I can tell you."

The NFL previously fined Gruden and the Raiders for the improper use of face masks. The Las Vegas-based franchise hosted the Saints on Monday night football in Week 2, a game that officially opened Allegiant Stadium. The ESPN cameras showed Gruden and Saints head coach Sean Payton both incorrectly wearing their masks or leaving them off entirely, and the league responded with $100,000 fines for each coach and an extra $250,000 for their teams.

Both Payton and Gruden contracted coronavirus prior to the season, but only the Saints coach came forward with his diagnosis. Gruden only provided the revelation when speaking with reporters about his fine and wearing the masks.

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