Photo courtesy of Alabama Veteran.
Guests play casino games with “casino money” at the 2020 Alabama Veteran Casino Night Gala at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa in Hoover. The Alabama Veteran organization is planning its 2021 Salute to Service Casino Night Gala at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa on June 19.
The Alabama Veteran organization is planning its 2021 Salute to Service Casino Night Gala at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa on June 19.
The event is a fundraiser for the organization and an opportunity to celebrate the service of veterans and have dinner and casino games with “casino money,” said Alan Cook, co-chairman of the event.
The night will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception and at about 6:15 will transition into a dinner and program featuring comedian and Iraq war veteran Bobby Henline.
Henline was a Desert Storm veteran who reenlisted in the Army after 9/11, deploying to Iraq three times, twice with the 82nd Airborne Division and once with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.
In April 2007, a roadside bomb blew up his Humvee, killing four other men in the vehicle with Henline and setting him ablaze. He suffered burns to 40% of his body and fractured bones in his face and shoulders.
During his recovery, Henline used humor to help him cope and keep other injured soldiers’ spirits up. His occupational therapist encouraged him to try stand-up comedy, and Henline since has continued to serve as a motivational speaker and share his humor professionally as the “Well Done Comedian.”
After dinner, more than 20 stations of casino games will open, including blackjack, roulette and craps, Cook said. Each guest will receive at least $500 in “casino money” to play the games, which should last until about 10:30 p.m.
The night will end with a raffle of items that include jewelry, hotel and trip packages, TV sets, nice restaurant dinners, guns and professional sports packages, co-chairwoman Shannon Byrd said. Raffle ticket winners do not have to be present to win.
Tickets to the event cost $125 per person. Companies and organizations can buy a table for 10 as a sponsor of the event for $1,500. Some companies choose to donate some or all of their tickets to veterans or active military members. Companies also can sponsor a casino table for $500.
Each ticket includes the cost of the dinner and drinks, a goody bag, raffle ticket and at least $500 in “casino money.”
Alabama Veteran uses the proceeds to help veterans reach their full potential after the military, promoting camaraderie through outdoor activities, fitness and social engagement, and connecting veterans to potential employers and organizations that meet veterans’ needs.
About 140 people attended the 2018 casino gala, and about 330 came in 2019, Cook said. This year, the dinner portion of the gala will take up the entire ballroom at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa to allow more room for social distancing and should accommodate 440 to 450 people, Byrd said. Casino games are being moved into adjoining rooms and common areas.
Alabama Veteran plans to follow protocols set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Alabama health officials, Byrd said.
The lead sponsor for the event is The Noles Group. The deadline for companies to purchase sponsorship tables is June 12, and the deadline to purchase individual tickets will be June 16.
For more information and a link to buy tickets, go to alabamaveteran.org/gala.
Salute to Service Casino Night Gala
WHERE: Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa
WHEN: Saturday, June 19
COST: $125; corporate sponsor table for 10 for $1,500
