A Mount Olive Tribune Editorial
There are community fundraising aplenty in most any community, and all benefit great causes.
And then there are “Funraisings,” events that raise money and bring people from all walks of life together for a night of unadulterated fun, laughter and remarkable camaraderie, leaving attendees not only happy they paid the price of a ticket but wanting more.
The James Sprunt Community College Foundation’s Casino Night is that kind of “funraising.“
In its third year, Friday’s Casino Night was just what it sounds like — a night where people hover over blackjack and craps tables or surround a roulette wheel, eagerly pushing chips toward croupiers and waiting with anticipation to see if their luck will carry them to a win.
While there’s no real gambling involved, in terms of money exchanging hands, the anticipation of the win at Casino Night was just as palpable. For the price of a ticket, each attendee received $10,000 in chips, which at any point during the evening can be traded for tickets and then placed in containers for the drawing of a dozen or more wonderful prizes — Hurricanes tickets, BBQ catering events, trips and much, much more.
Those tickets traded for chips allow attendees to play any or all of the available casino games, that is until the chips run out or have been exchanged for those priceless tickets.
If you attended the latest Casino Night Friday, Feb. 23, you would know this event, held at Duplin Country Club, was nothing short of a Vegas extravaganza, complete with delicious food and ecstatic people, enjoying a night out, meeting up with friends, making new ones and renewing old acquaintances, all while doing something really good for the community college and its students.
Watching as people participated in the games, it was easy to see the fellowship, the excitement and the sometimes dubious moments.
If the dice skidded to a stop with a player’s number showing, shouts of joy would erupt; a biting of the lip and a wringing of the hands often accompanied each spin of the roulette wheel as people’s eyes stayed affixed to the little white ball as it skipped along until it landed in its black, red or green slot. And you could hear the sucking in of breath as the dealer prepared to turn over a card at the Blackjack table or or see the steady stare of the poker players as they assessed their opponents before making their wager.
Actual money might not have been on the line, but the competitive spirit was alive and well with each turn of the card, throw of the dice, spin of the wheel.
In every corner there were the players and the observers, celebrating the wins and commiserating the losses. And everyone was having a good time … a really good time.
Kudos go to the James Sprunt Community College staff and, particularly, Taylor Sandlin, director of Foundation services, for a job well done, both in raising needed money for the college and for continuing a magical night that people will surely continue to seek out each year. Hats are also off to the many sponsors who provided wonderful prizes and even more support during the night and to the volunteers who helped to make this night one of the best in Duplin.
No question this event will continue for many years to come, not just because it’s a great way to raise money, but because it lifts spirits, forges relationships, builds support for the community college and, all told, is one great night of fun.
