LCS Vegas raises over $5,000 for local nonprofits

Tufts’ Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS) hosted its 19th annual semi-formal Las Vegas-themed fundraiser LCS Vegas at the Hilton Boston Back Bay Hotel on Friday night.

This year, funds raised from the LCS Vegas event will benefit RESPOND, a local domestic violence agency, and the Community Action Agency of Somerville, the official anti-poverty initiative for the City of Somerville, according to Gemma Stern, co-president of LCS.

“Our main goal is to raise a lot of money for our two nonprofits," Samantha Toohey, LCS’s director of fundraising and community relations, said.

LCS Vegas hosted 379 guests and raised a total of $5,745 to be split evenly between RESPOND and the Community Action Agency of Somerville, according Stern. The event not only was successful in raising money for the two organizations, but it also allowed students to have a night of Vegas-themed fun, she added.

Stern explained that the group had hoped to raise $3,000 for each organization.

For the first time, LCS worked directly with the Office for Campus Life (OCL) and event staff in order to help coordinate this year's event, Stern added.

"The school has been extremely supportive," she noted.

Stern said she believed that working with OCL would minimize risks and help the event run even more smoothly this year. LCS has been working with OCL Director Joe Golia since March of last year to plan each step of this year's event.

Another important change to this year's LCS Vegas, apart from having OCL’s assistance, was the number of tickets available, Stern explained. The number of tickets on sale was scaled down to 500 to make certain that the event would be more controlled and intimate, she added.

Stern also explained that the process of busing students from campus to the event was more organized, and the event staff ensured that students get on the buses assigned to them by their tickets.

“We really want students to know of our presence, be able to provide a social gathering for all of LCS’s volunteers and get students off campus and into Boston,” she said.

Stern said she was ultimately very pleased with the success of the event this year.

“LCS Vegas was definitely successful," she said. "The event went much smoother than in years past. The event staff were extremely helpful. Also, Joseph Golia was at the event, which was extremely beneficial. OCL was an immense help. They really helped us sort out all of our contracts with the various vendors and make sure this event was as safe as possible for everyone.”

LCS, an umbrella organization for over 30 diverse programs of community service at Tufts, hosts two major fundraisers every year -- one in the fall and one in the spring.

Toohey underscored LCS' collaborative efforts throughout the year with other organizations at Tufts.

“As the largest student-run organization on campus, we tend to reach beyond our specific boarders and help other groups in the Tufts community with their events," she said. "We also help at other organizations' events in the area, and these opportunities get featured in the LCS newsletter. ”