Kessler Foundation’s Monte Carlo Night to Benefit People with Disabilities
Kessler Foundation is hosting its first Monte Carlo Night to benefit people with disabilities on Thursday, November 15th at The Grove, in Cedar Grove, N.J., beginning at 6:30 p.m. Former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand is the Foundation’s ambassador for the event.
The five-hour evening features live music headlined by Ben Vereen, classic casino games, simulated horse racing, a Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament, gourmet food, premium cocktails and an awards ceremony. Ben Vereen will perform his show, Steppin' Out, Platinum Band will play jazz and cabaret and Platinum Soul will provide dance music from the 1960s through today. New York Giant Carl Banks will be among the evening's special guests.
Casino tables feature roulette, craps and blackjack. Simulated horseracing games allows guests to bet on horses from past races—whose names have been removed, but statistics are still visible. In lieu of cash, winners earn vouchers to exchange for raffle tickets. The grand prize is a five-day, four-night stay in Monte Carlo.
To play in the Texas Hold 'Em Tournament, individuals must register separately, as participation is limited to 100 players. The top six players will earn prizes; the overall winner earns a place at the Atlantic City Poker Tournament. Poker players can also participate in the other activities of Monte Carlo Night.
At Monte Carlo Night, the first Kessler Foundation Community Inspirational Leadership Awards will be presented to Eric LeGrand, Scott Chesney and Bonnie Evans. LeGrand was paralyzed on a tackle during a Rutgers vs. Army game in 2010. Since then, he has inspired others with his remarkable progress in therapy and his successful new ventures in sportscasting and publishing. Chesney, who was paralyzed at age 15, has spent nearly three decades traveling the world as a motivational speaker, helping people live the lives they want to live. Evans, chief executive officer of Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, trained under Dr. Henry H. Kessler, who founded the Institute in 1947, and has dedicated her career to improving rehabilitative care.
All proceeds from Monte Carlo Night support Kessler Foundation’s rehabilitation research and employment initiatives for people with disabilities. Advances in research improve the mobility and health of individuals with spinal cord injury, the communication and independence of stroke survivors and the thinking, learning and memory of people with traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis. The Foundation’s grantmaking supports organizations that create or expand job opportunities for people with disabilities. Lastly, proceeds help fund the New Jersey chapter of ThinkFirst—an injury prevention program that educates students, grades K-12, about safety practices that minimize the risk of disabling injuries of the brain and spinal cord.
About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation, a large public charity in the field of disability, conducts rehabilitation research and training in mobility and cognition that advances the care of people with multiple sclerosis, brain injury, stroke and spinal cord injury. Kessler Foundation is one of eight centers in the U.S. to have NIDRR-funded model systems for traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. Through its program center, Kessler Foundation fosters new approaches to the persistently high rates of unemployment among people disabled by injury or disease. Targeted grant making funds promising programs across the nation. Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, people recovering from catastrophic injuries and stroke and young adults striving for independence are among the thousands of people finding jobs and training for careers as a result of the commitment of Kessler Foundation.
Find us at KesslerFoundation.org and on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
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Contacts:
Lauren Scrivo; 973-324-8384; 973-768-6583-c; [email protected]
Carolann Murphy, PA; 973.324.8382; [email protected]
