EVANSTON — More than 200 people were on hand when the Evanston Youth Club was transformed into a casino for the club’s annual Casino Night on Friday, Nov. 9. Evanston Youth Club Director Holly Slade West said the fundraiser event brought in a profit of more than $8,000 to fund club programs for youth. 

The new Youth Club building, which opened its doors last spring, was able to accommodate the crowd, with dining tables, raffle item tables and, of course, the multiple tables dedicated to roulette, craps, blackjack, Texas hold ’em and more. Youth Club board members and volunteers, along with staff of the casino company, took on the dealing duties as attendees tried to accumulate chips to be used to purchase opportunities to win raffle prizes like a night at Aspen Cinemas, Evanston dining, a Wind River Casino getaway, board games, electronics and more. 

Slade said holding the event in the Youth Club building itself gave those in attendance an opportunity to see just what the funds will be used to support, and multiple community businesses and individuals stepped up to donate and sponsor the event. The club has seen a dramatic increase in youth members in recent months, and Slade said it now costs an average of $25,000 per month to operate and provide services to such a huge number of local kids. 

The next club fundraiser will be the annual North Pole Carnival, featuring Buddy the Elf, from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 14, which will also be held in the new building at 603 6th St. Slade said the carnival will feature multiple crafts, games and activities for kids.