Casino Night- Monte Carlo Raises Over $150,000
The San Diego community came together to roll the dice for charity Saturday, October 11 at the second annual A Bridge for Kids Casino Night-Monte Carlo. A record turnout showed up to gamble the night away for a great cause and helped raise over $150,000 for at-risk teens.
This money will be used to provide a “hand up” to many deserving teens in San Diego who are waiting to be sponsored. Additionally, these funds will allow the organization to further expand it’s tutoring and SAT/ACT Preparatory Programs as well as the college tours it provides on both coasts. All of the programs are currently offered free of charge to low-income, high achieving teenagers and are aimed at “leveling the playing field” for kids who want to do more with their lives but are lacking the financial resources to move ahead.
While everyone was busy trying to win big at the casino tables, there were several in attendance that also hit the jackpot during the live auction. Rob and Lynne Hayes of La Jolla and Bruce and Anya Springer of San Diego claimed the biggest payouts of the night by winning the 4-day vacations donated by Exclusive Resorts. Immediately after that, Margot and Dennis Doucette and Minh and Amon Hoang won the hotly contested all-inclusive African Safari, and then Mark McKenna walked away with a Wine Experience donated by Tim Bacino, winemaker and owner of Brookside Wineries. Finally, Glenda Rothberg might have gotten the steal of the night winning two VIP tickets to a live taping of Dancing with the Stars donated by Chuck Dukas, Casino Nights master of ceremonies and auctioneer. In all, the paddle raise and live auction raised over $50,000, far exceeding last year’s total.
Thanks to the generosity of those attending Casino Night, many deserving San Diego teens will now receive a “hand up” in achieving their academic, athletic and artistic dreams. The money raised will finance items such as laptop computers, college trips, SAT and ACT preparation classes, college application fees, athletic gear, summer camps, clothes, school supplies and much more. If you want to become a sponsor of a teen in need or want to volunteer with A Bridge For Kids, please contact Tammy Nance at tnance@abridgeforkids.org.