Betting on community kindness

After snowmobiles were done flinging snow at the 6th Street Sprint and kids were done sledding, the evening warmed up as chips flew to end the 36th Annual Sierra Madre Winter Carnival on January 28.

Casino Night, which caps the annual event, transformed Encampment Opera House into a house of luck and skill. Blackjack tables, a roulette wheel, a craps table, traditional bingo and chicken poop bingo were all offered to attendees of the fundraising event. Organized by Gayle Wessel, the majority of the profits went to Trevor Vorn and his family to help offset the expenses in rebuilding their home lost to a fire late last year.

Over 80 people attended the event and participated in the games and a multitude of donations were made by community members and businesses. Gift baskets filled to the brim with goodies were offered up, as was fun and food, all with the knowledge a local family would benefit from the generosity and support of a community.

Casino Night raised more than $5,000 for Vorn and his family.