The red carpet was rolled out at the Crystal Tea Room, in the heart of Philadelphia, for the Flyers Charities Casino Night 2024. Flyers fans and players take to the casino-style floor and take part in casino games such as blackjack, poker and roulette, but all for the charity: raising money for a good cause.
“It’s a lot of fun for us because as players we get to interact with the fans face-to-face and that’s something we don’t normally do,” said Flyers defenseman Cam York. “And it’s kind of a way for us to show our support for the fans and thank them for what they do for us throughout the season. It’s a great evening and everything goes to charity, so it’s a great evening.”
Thursday’s event marked the third annual Casino Evening with all proceeds benefiting the Flyers Charities’ mission to create strong communities by removing financial barriers and revitalizing gaming spaces to grow the game of hockey and help local families affected by cancer in the region Greater Philadelphia.
The event gave fans a chance to interact with their favorite players – something the Flyers general manager was passionate about Danny Briere considers important for the organization.
» READ MORE: How Danny Brière and the Flyers’ new front office are rebuilding trust with an aching fan base
“Get to know our players a little better, see how good looking they are,” Brière said. “Sometimes hockey players are a little reluctant to open up. In a setting like this it’s a really great opportunity to get to know them better and ask the questions they sometimes can’t answer on TV.”
In addition to playing casino-style games, silent auction bids were also placed for exciting prizes such as Philadelphia sports memorabilia – including an autographed Matvei Michkov sweater and a signed one Jalen hurts framed photo – a five-star golf getaway to Ireland and a wine lover’s getaway to Portugal.
Major events like the Flyers Charities Casino Night have contributed more than $32 million to the community. The Flyers hope to continue their success with future events, including more casino nights.
“I hope it gets bigger and bigger every year,” said Blair Listino, the president of Flyers Charities and the Flyers’ deputy governor. “These will be more visitors than we have had in the past. Every year the attendance gets a little bit higher which makes it a little difficult as we are looking for a bigger and bigger venue every year as we grow. And then I just hope that we continue to get repeat customers. As you walk around tonight, most of the people you talk to will be their second or third time here.
Leave a Reply