Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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The San Francisco Examiner; June 1, 1998
Ray Delgado of the Examiner Staff
But one San Francisco AIDS organization parlayed that feeling into one of fun by hosting "Casino Night," a volunteer appreciation party and fund-raiser held Saturday night in true Las Vegas-style tackiness.
There were cheesy lounge acts, disco balls, smorgasbord dessert buffets and oversized playing cards plastered everywhere on the walls of a conference room inside, of all places, St. Mary's Cathedral.
There was no money to be won. Instead, bettors could feel good about losing money on the roulette wheel, knowing the money would go to Shanti, an organization that matches volunteers with clients to provide practical and emotional support to people living with AIDS.
"I'm having a good time schmoozing," said Christian Giorgi, who lost all his money within minutes at the craps table. "I think there's a reason they call it that name. You lose all your money and then you say, "Crap."
The event was Shanti's second annual volunteer appreciation party. Instead of hosting a boring awards dinner, organizers dreamed up the gambling theme in hopes that the entertainment would draw more people to the fund-raising event.
"The concept is new and different and it kind of gives us a break from anything that's heavy and somber," said Joe Pasalodos, a vice chairman of Shanti's board of directors.
The night's 300 or so gamblers paid $20 to get in the door and received $10 in play money to get them started at either roulette, blackjack or craps. If and when lady luck ran out, gamblers could purchase more fake money at a higher-than-usual rate for chips.
With no money to be won, gamblers instead competed for donated prizes, including a round-trip ticket to any destination in the United States, Mexico, Canada, the Bahamas, the Caribbean or Bermuda; a 19-inch color television; a CD / cassette boombox and tickets to the Golden State Warriors or San Jose Sharks.
Drew Ward was one of Shanti's first volunteers back in 1982-84, at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. He said he read about Shanti Casino Night in a local paper and decided to see what the new generation of volunteers was like.
"All the heart and dedication are clearly still there," said Ward, whose HIV-positive partner is currently matched with a Shanti volunteer. "People in the early '80s, like me, laid the foundation, and it's good to see that spirit still exists."
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