Bazin’s on Church owner Julie Bazin, community supporter Erica Manz, and Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid light up the night at the Vienna Rotary Casino Night. Photo by Donna Manz.
Vienna Rotary’s 2nd Annual Casino Night and Taste of the World was a festive gala not to be missed … so, if you did miss it, pencil in “2018.”
Women dressed in exquisite formals and men elegantly clad in dapper suits or tuxedos floated around the ballroom of Westwood Country Club for four hours of gaming, eating signature dishes from area’s most popular restaurants, bidding on raffle prizes, and socializing with community supporters … socializing was, from appearances, the common denominator uniting the guests.
From local elected officials and business owners, to Rotarians and friends of friends, about 200 congenial guests showed up. Casino Night is as much a community outreach event as it is a fundraiser for Vienna Rotary, who returns approximately 90 percent of their annual revenue, particularly the net proceeds from ViVa! Vienna! to Vienna-area and NoVa nonprofits.
The admission ticket covered gaming, raffle tickets, a bar drink, and as much food as visitors could eat. Tastings of restaurant fare ranged from cannoli dessert and strawberry cheesecake to roasted cauliflower with hummus and corned beef bites, and a myriad of dishes in between that covered the globe.
“It’s an opportunity to bring the community together,” said Vienna Rotary public relations co-chair Cristin Etheredge. “What makes this special is the heartfelt sense of community.”