Casino fundraiser slated during Emo fair

The Emo Meals on Wheels committee hopes to rake in the chips when it holds a casino night fundraiser during the Emo fall fair next month.
The Las Vegas-style evening is slated Saturday, Aug. 21 from 9-11:30 p.m. upstairs in the Emo Arena. Organizers are hoping the fun event will build up the coffers needed to fix the handi-van—and eventually buy a new one.
“This will be the first time we’ve held a big fundraiser for the handi-van [project],” committee member Patti Labbe said Monday. “We don’t yet have an estimate on what it will cost to fix the van, but that’s coming.”
The 10-year-old handi-van, with more than 300,000 km on the odometer, was pulled off the road earlier this spring due to excessive wear and tear.
It was an essential transportation tool for district seniors who needed rides to medical appointments in Fort Frances. The handi-van also provided transportation to special-needs children to attend Donald Young School in Emo and Crossroads School in Devlin.
“If we do not get the van [operable], we will lose the school contracts we have for [special-needs] children,” warned Labbe.
Organizers are hoping to draw a big crowd to the casino night, which will feature 12 gaming tables and a big roulette wheel.
The casino will be supervised by Casino Fantasy of Winnipeg, the company involved in the successful casino night fundraiser hosted by Riverside Foundation for Health Care in Fort Frances in February.
Ticket prices have yet to be determined, but will include “fun money” to be used at the gaming tables. “Winnings” from those games then can be used to buy prizes.
“We’ve sent out 40 letters to [area] businesses asking them to sponsor a table or donate a prize—and the response has been quite good,” noted Labbe.
Sponsored tables are available at $100 per table and $200 for the big roulette wheel. Finger foods and “mocktails” also will be available.
In related news, Meals on Wheels also will have a canteen set up for seniors on the main level of the Emo Arena, where they can come in from the heat and enjoy some refreshments on the Friday (Aug. 20) and Saturday (Aug. 21) of the fair.
Proceeds from the canteen also will go towards the handi-van project.
For more information, contact Labbe (482-2248) or Molly Crozier (482-2572).