Miami University's newest business and economics fraternity Phi Chi Theta, founded in January, hosted its first large fundraiser, a casino night held at The Woods Bar March 27. The 100 chapter members raised around $3,000 by the end of the night, all of which will be donated to the Hamilton County Special Olympics.
Outgoing president, senior Rebecca Spiewak, said they decided to donate to Hamilton County Special Olympics because it was a relevant, local and relatable cause.
"The tickets sold for entry and to raise money for the charity," Spiewak said. "All games were non-profiting meaning participants are just playing for fun and not with any actual money or gain/loss. I think it was fun for participants to bring alive this town's nickname 'OxVegas' for a night here, especially while supporting a great cause."
Junior Chelsea Raleigh, co-director of philanthropy, said the casino night fostered a fun atmosphere for all.
"As college students, you always hear about the 'boys poker nights'...we wanted something for everybody," Raleigh said. "That's where the idea for a casino-themed event came from."
Tickets were sold in a presale and could also be purchased at the door, according to the other co-director of philanthropy sophomore Emily Due. With the purchase of a ticket came five raffle tickets and 1,000 chips with which to gamble.
Raffle prizes included a flat-screen TV and spirit wear. The grand prize consisted of a two-day, three-night trip for two to Las Vegas, airfare and lodging included. The prize was valued up to $1,100, according to Due.
According to Raleigh and Due, the night featured typical casino table games like poker, blackjack, roulette and craps, as well as a photo booth where attendees could have their picture taken in front of the Las Vegas cityscape background.
"The photo booth was cool because we had the 'Welcome to Las Vegas' background, but we replaced Las Vegas with 'OxVegas,'" Raleigh said.
Raleigh and Due said they are happy with the outcome and especially grateful for the generosity of the fundraiser's six sponsors: The Woods's owner Ted Woods, Doughby's, Ernst & Young, The Jorling's, The Duhamel's and The Spiewak's.
According to Raleigh, around 200 attended the fundraiser.
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"Profits from past events that our fraternity has put on have also gone to this cause, and we plan on continuing supporting the Hamilton Special Olympics through future endeavors," Due said.
According to Raleigh, the fraternity wants to turn "OxVegas" into an annual event.
"It went really well, so we definitely want to try to improve it and raise even more money," Raleigh said.
"Next time, we hope to have a wider variety of prizes to produce an even higher turnout," Due added.
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