Players dress up, ante up for good cause

By Karen Blackledge
The Daily Item

March 09, 2008 06:55 am

— LEWISBURG -- Cindy and Bernie Campbell, of Winfield, were first-time attendees at the Seventh Annual Casino Royale and Grand Raffle to raise money for the Lewisburg Area Recreation Authority.
"We haven't left this table. We will try some other games," Cindy said of their blackjack table.
They decided to go to the Saturday night event "because it sounded like something fun to do," she said.
"It's a neat Saturday evening and a great cause," Bernie said.
The event, in the Silver Moon Banquet Hall, included professional gaming tables, a Texas Hold'em tournament and slot machines.
Kathy Fracalossi, of Elysburg, also was attending for the first time along with an entire table reserved of her husband, friends from work and other family members.
She was trying her luck on a slot machine and expected to play some blackjack later.
"I'm sure we'll come back again. It's a fun night out and it's for a good cause," she said.
Douglas Wertz, of White Deer, who was there for the first time, was playing a slot machines and doing OK. He planned to move over to a blackjack table.
Trey Casimir, chairman of the recreation authority board, said 125 people turned out for the dinner preceding the games and another 150 were expected for the casino event. The optional dinner was new this year.
Kevin Gardner, of Lewisburg, who has attended three or four times, was playing blackjack. He has won some prizes in the past at this event where players trade winning chips for tickets for an auction and raffles. They can also buy more chips and more raffle tickets. With the Texas Hold'em tournament, the winner got half the cash and the authority received the other half.
"This is closer than Atlantic City and goes for a good cause," Gardner said of why he attends.
Casimir said some people go year after year because they love to gamble while others like to get dressed up for a glamorous night out that includes dancing and another group just turns out to support LARA.
"LARA has a multitude of programs including a new trails area, managing the pool, managing the Lewisburg Area Park and more than 100 programs including the new gymnastics center," he said of where the proceeds will go.
While he is an amateur at the games, he said, "I may put all my money on the red roulette wheel and hope for the best."
Caasino night is one of LARA's big fundraisers. Last year's event raised $12,800, which included a matching grant from the Degenstein Foundation.
While the foundation will provide a flat grant amount this year to LARA, Casimir expected a profit of several thousand dollars from the special night.
Beth Lewis, of Datman Productions of Williamsport, that provided the games, said nine blackjack tables were set up and more would probably be added.
Roxanne Lupold, of Unforgettable Events of Mifflinburg, coordinated the night for the second consecutive year. "We are holding our own competing with the hospital gala. Everything has gone smoothly. The guests are enjoying it very much," she said.
So much that Pedro Valdes, of Winfield, who provided the wine from Argentina, expected to run out of glasses. That also happened last year.
n E-mail comments to kblackledge@dailyitem.com.

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