Las Vegas and Wrestling
Every year our company's annual organizes a fund raising event for a different charity. Everyone gets involved from the CEO to the newest hire. Right now, that's over fifteen hundred people. This year the planning committee decided the theme would be "Las Vegas" There would be the usual gambling tables with wrestling as a bonus activity. We always hired an event producer to assist with the details and make the whole event come together effortlessly.
Since it is illegal in our state to gamble for money Instead, guests could buy tokens valued from one dollar on up. These tokens could be cashed in for prizes. For example, a portable CD player was available for fifty dollars in tokens ; a certificate to a day spa for one hundred dollars. All of the prizes were donated by businesses around town.
One of the halls at the city convention center was reserved for the event. Gambling tables of every kind were brought in-- craps, black jack, poker and roulette with professional dealers at each Waiters, waitresses and a classic rock band were hired as well. The open bar was staffed by volunteers from a bartending school. Every drink was a dollar from wine to every kind of mixed drink and beer, from dark bitters to lager. The buffet was catered by the Italian restaurant down the street.
Many employees brought their families to the event. A section of the hall was set up for the younger crowd. There was a jungle gym, a plexi glass tank filled with foam balls for the kids to jump around in and lots of board games and toys to keep them occuped. Everyone under 18 was supervised in shifts by employees who volunteered their time.
In the center of the hall was the wrestling ring. Anyone could bid for a chance to go up against a wrestling a professional in the ring. At the top of every hour Ric "The Equalizer" Drasin and Kid Fury demonstrated wrestling moves. The prize for beating either of them was a weekend trip to The Equalizer's Wrestling Training Camp where you could learn the basics and get to dress up as a professional wrestler with a Championship belt. Everyone at the camp had a chance to star would make a professional ten minute video about you, which you could take home and show off to your friends.
A rather bulky man gave the first winning bid. He paid $900 to go one round with The Equalizer. First The Equalizer taught him some basic moves and then they wrestled. At first, The Equalizer had control of the mat, then the bidder took control, but the challenger lost at the last moment. Someone wrestled Kid Fury next and lost within the first minute. Several rounds later, a smaller man in his forties beat the heck out of the Equalizer (obviously faked) and the guy won the trip to the training camp. I think he deserved it considering he bid $1100!
After the wrestling matches, The Equalizer and Kid Fury posed for pictures. Women and children lined up to have a turn to pose next to the wrestlers. By the end of the evening a considerable amount of money was raised for the chosen charity and everyone, young and old had a great time. Everyone went home a winner.
