Over 400 Tufts students rolled the dice in support of a local charity during the Leonard Carmichael Society's (LCS) Vegas Semi-Formal at the Back Bay Hilton on Friday night.
The dance, hosted annually by LCS, raised around $4,500 in ticket sales and donations, according to LCS Co-President Nicole Cherng, a senior.
All proceeds went to the Walnut Street Center, a Somerville organization that runs programs for adults with developmental disabilities in Somerville, Cambridge and Arlington.
This was the third year that LCS' semi-formal has been Las Vegas casino-themed, and the event continues to be a success. The night's fundraising results marked an increase from those of last year, when LCS raised just over $4,000 for the Medford Family Network, a volunteer organization that provides parenting education and support to the families of small children in conjunction with Medford public schools.
"It was a very smooth event. I would say it was one of our more successful semi-formals," said LCS co-president Fred Huang, a senior. "It was pretty much a sold-out event at the start."
In choosing the fundraiser's beneficiary, organizers alternate each year between charities located in Somerville and Medford, LCS Secretary Julia Carlson said.
"We worked … to find out about charities that are specifically in need for this year as the economy has gotten worse," Carlson said.
John Keegan, executive director for the Walnut Street Center, told the Daily that the LCS funds are arriving in a time of particular need. He said the organization lost $600,000 in July from its family support contract — government funding that goes directly to families to support individuals.
"We're really appreciative of the Leonard Carmichael Society for their focus on the Walnut Street Center and the needs of the local community in general," he said.
LCS gave each semi-formal attendee 10,000 "dollars" at the door; the money could be spent at tables for poker, craps, black jack and other games. Guests danced and played casino games with the help of professional dealers, hired by LCS and paid for with funds from the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate, according to Carlson.
Huang said that hiring professional groups of dealers adds to the event's atmosphere.
"A lot of people [told me] they had a lot of fun because the dealers actually taught them how to play," he said.
While LCS is open to varying the theme, he said, the Vegas motif "allows us to bring more variety to the evening and make it more than just like a club."
Sophomore Amanda Johnson agreed that the night had been a success. "It was really fun," Johnson said. "I've never really gambled like that before, and the way it was set up was really cool."
Keegan said that the money raised at the event will likely go to improving handicapped accessibility to the kitchen areas of the Walnut Street Center's housing and support facilities.
"They were in dire need of our support, and were very receptive of our donation," Huang said. "We're very excited to be working with them."
