Casino night is a sure bet for a good cause
Come lend a hand to autistic programs by playing a hand — or several.
The Durand Foundation’s fourth annual Casino Night fundraiser will take place Oct. 16 from 7 to 11 p.m. at Elite Catering at The Coliseum in Voorhees.
The foundation is the philanthropic arm for Durand Academy and Community Services, a nonprofit organization that serves South Jersey children and adults with autism and other disabilities, as well as their families, said Terry Flannery, family support coordinator there.
Guests can try their luck at professionally run casino games, including Texas Hold ‘Em and horse racing — both new this year.
Tickets, available for $50 each, include free wine and beer, hors d’oeuvres, a pasta bar, dessert and $25 worth of chips. A “roaming banker” will be available throughout the event for guests to purchase more.
At night’s end, guests will turn in their chips for tickets to use in the event’s raffle drawing, said Flannery.
Silent auction and raffle prizes include two VIP tickets to “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” in New York City, overnight hotel accommodations, airline tickets, wines, restaurant gift cards, passes and memberships to museums and several cultural sites and much more.
“We usually have about 100 chance auction baskets and 10 to 15 silent auction prizes,” said Flannery. “Even in this economy, we were very fortunate to get some really, really nice things this year.”
While guests will enjoy the games and food, they’ll be benefiting a worthy cause, said the coordinator.
Durand Academy and Community Services, Inc., established in 1973, operates a kindergarten-through-eighth grade school in Woodbury, an adult vocational day center in Mount Laurel and a thrift shop in Woodbury that employs the agency’s special needs day clients and group homes throughout the area. The agency also offers respite services and training programs for more than 240 families, according to its Web site, www.durandac.org.
Money raised at the Casino Night will go toward additional Durand programs, said Flannery, including the Life-skills Program for high-functioning teenagers with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.
“They learn real-life skills — not just the vocational skills they learn in school,” said Flannery. “We teach them financial literacy and how to look for a job or approach an interview.”
But the program also focuses on social skills and pairs the participants with peer mentors from local high schools.
“The main hallmark of autism and Asperger’s is difficulty interacting with others,” she said. “These students interact as friends. It’s such a great program.”
The money raised might also go toward supplementing grant funding for the agency’s First Responders Autism Training Service.
“We train first responders on how to deal with people with autism in emergency situations — how to approach a child with it, the signs and symptoms,” she said.
The program has already reached the majority of emergency personnel in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties, as well as parts of Atlantic, Salem, Ocean and Mercer Counties, said Flannery.
“We’re trying to cover just about anyone who needs that kind of awareness,” she said. The First Responders program has been made possible with grants from The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism and the Jamie McMurray Foundation, the coordinator said.
This is the fourth year for the Casino Night and the second time it is being held at Elite Catering at The Coliseum in Voorhees.
“We knew that a lot of groups did a traditional dinner and dance or a golf outing and we were looking for something a little different,” she said. “We batted around ideas and decided to try this and it’s been a success.”
Flannery not only praised Elite Catering’s facility, but also commended Tumbling Dice, the company that runs the casino games, for its helpful role in the evening.
“They’re such a competent company and are very easy to work with,” she said. “They do a great job.”
Catherine Medovich, family support coordinator, and Florence Collins, administrative assistant to the executive director, have both been instrumental in the event’s planning, Flannery added.
Guests must be 21 to attend. Tickets are available by calling 856-235-3540, ext. 107, or for purchase at the door. For more information, visit www.durandac.org or call 856-845-0666.
The Durand Foundation’s fourth annual Casino Night fundraiser will take place Oct. 16 from 7 to 11 p.m. at Elite Catering at The Coliseum in Voorhees.
The foundation is the philanthropic arm for Durand Academy and Community Services, a nonprofit organization that serves South Jersey children and adults with autism and other disabilities, as well as their families, said Terry Flannery, family support coordinator there.
Guests can try their luck at professionally run casino games, including Texas Hold ‘Em and horse racing — both new this year.
Tickets, available for $50 each, include free wine and beer, hors d’oeuvres, a pasta bar, dessert and $25 worth of chips. A “roaming banker” will be available throughout the event for guests to purchase more.
At night’s end, guests will turn in their chips for tickets to use in the event’s raffle drawing, said Flannery.
Silent auction and raffle prizes include two VIP tickets to “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” in New York City, overnight hotel accommodations, airline tickets, wines, restaurant gift cards, passes and memberships to museums and several cultural sites and much more.
“We usually have about 100 chance auction baskets and 10 to 15 silent auction prizes,” said Flannery. “Even in this economy, we were very fortunate to get some really, really nice things this year.”
While guests will enjoy the games and food, they’ll be benefiting a worthy cause, said the coordinator.
Durand Academy and Community Services, Inc., established in 1973, operates a kindergarten-through-eighth grade school in Woodbury, an adult vocational day center in Mount Laurel and a thrift shop in Woodbury that employs the agency’s special needs day clients and group homes throughout the area. The agency also offers respite services and training programs for more than 240 families, according to its Web site, www.durandac.org.
Money raised at the Casino Night will go toward additional Durand programs, said Flannery, including the Life-skills Program for high-functioning teenagers with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.
“They learn real-life skills — not just the vocational skills they learn in school,” said Flannery. “We teach them financial literacy and how to look for a job or approach an interview.”
But the program also focuses on social skills and pairs the participants with peer mentors from local high schools.
“The main hallmark of autism and Asperger’s is difficulty interacting with others,” she said. “These students interact as friends. It’s such a great program.”
The money raised might also go toward supplementing grant funding for the agency’s First Responders Autism Training Service.
“We train first responders on how to deal with people with autism in emergency situations — how to approach a child with it, the signs and symptoms,” she said.
The program has already reached the majority of emergency personnel in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties, as well as parts of Atlantic, Salem, Ocean and Mercer Counties, said Flannery.
“We’re trying to cover just about anyone who needs that kind of awareness,” she said. The First Responders program has been made possible with grants from The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism and the Jamie McMurray Foundation, the coordinator said.
This is the fourth year for the Casino Night and the second time it is being held at Elite Catering at The Coliseum in Voorhees.
“We knew that a lot of groups did a traditional dinner and dance or a golf outing and we were looking for something a little different,” she said. “We batted around ideas and decided to try this and it’s been a success.”
Flannery not only praised Elite Catering’s facility, but also commended Tumbling Dice, the company that runs the casino games, for its helpful role in the evening.
“They’re such a competent company and are very easy to work with,” she said. “They do a great job.”
Catherine Medovich, family support coordinator, and Florence Collins, administrative assistant to the executive director, have both been instrumental in the event’s planning, Flannery added.
Guests must be 21 to attend. Tickets are available by calling 856-235-3540, ext. 107, or for purchase at the door. For more information, visit www.durandac.org or call 856-845-0666.
