Casino Royale returns to benefit local clinic
Tuscarawas Clinic for the Working Uninsured Executive Director Pat Warther said Casino Royale will be a fun evening with plenty of great packages to win.
The United Way will hold Casino Royale on Saturday, Feb. 18 from 6-10 p.m. at Kent State Tuscarawas Performing Arts Center in New Philadelphia to benefit the Tuscarawas Clinic for the Working Uninsured. The event is the largest fundraiser for the clinic.
“We’ve been doing this for about six years,” said Pat Warther, RN, executive director of the Tuscarawas Clinic for the Working Uninsured. “We just got it in February 2020 before the pandemic began, and we’ve canceled it the last two years to be safe. Now we’re ready to host Casino Royale again, and we’re doing it full scale, just like before.”
Numerous baskets filled with items will be raffled, and there also will be a silent auction. Light refreshments will be served, and a cash bar will be available.
Warther said those who attend will have a fun evening.
“Sometimes you might go to a fundraiser and there really isn’t that much to do,” she said. “Casino Royale is a fun night. We actually hire a company to come and handle the casino games. We’ll have blackjack, craps, roulette and other games. They set it all up and provide dealers, so things go very smoothly. People buy chips to play and play with those chips. At the end of the evening, they turn their chips in for tickets so they can hopefully win one of the great prizes we have.
“You don’t win any money, but you get a chance at all these great items. It makes for a very fun night, and there’s a lot happening.”
Baskets are filled with wines, a variety of foods, bar service sets, liquor and more.
The Tuscarawas Clinic for the Working Uninsured is available to people residing in Tuscarawas County who are working but have no health insurance or inadequate coverage, with an income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.
“People come to the clinic, and they are taken care of just like at any doctor’s office. We monitor their health conditions, assess what might be going on with diabetes or high blood pressure,” Warther said.
Though the clinic is not able to handle every patient’s specific needs, the staff is able to help patients seek the help they need elsewhere in the community if necessary.
“We get funding from private donors and from area companies,” Warther said. “There are physicians who donate their time, and we’re also able to help with dental problems that may be affecting overall health. While our resources are limited, we try to link people with others who can help.”
The clinic was started in 2009 by Dr. Brenda Prince, who was in the emergency department at Union Hospital then.
“She saw a lot of people coming into the emergency room seeking basic medical care with no insurance coverage. That’s how it began, actually working from the social hall at St. Joseph’s Church one day a week. Volunteer doctors began seeing patients at that time, and we’ve been growing to meet community needs since,” Warther said.
Major sponsors for Casino Royale are the Dover-Phila Federal Credit Union, The Commercial and Savings Bank, Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital, Trinity Hospital Twin City, Hawk Dental, and Pinnacle Foot and Ankle Center.
“We are very grateful to our supporters who help to make the clinic possible,” Warther said. “Our sponsors and supporters are wonderful about earmarking some of their budget for us every year. We could not do all that we are able to offer patients without that critical support.”
Tickets for Casino Royale are $50 each and are available at the Tuscarawas Clinic for the Working Uninsured at 420 Reeves Ave., Suite D, Dover. Find the clinic online at www.tuscarawasclinic.org.