'Black Jack & Black Rhinos" casino night coming to Albany to help aid animal conservation efforts
Sep. 21—ALBANY — Chehaw Park and Zoo's Creekside Center will be transformed into a casino on Thursday, but there will be no gamble on how money raised at the event will be used.
The Black Jack & Black Rhinos event is the first of what is hoped to be many to come in the future.
"The goal is to raise money for Chehaw so we can continue to focus on our mission," said Chehaw Executive Director Morgan Burnette. "It's an opportunity for people to have a lot of fun but it's going to help Chehaw with our mission of conservation and education."
The Las Vegas-style casino will be open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, with the $75 admission charge covering dinner, drinks and $2,500 in "play money." Players will compete in games to win prizes. Tickets will be available at the door the night of the event.
Black rhinos are listed as critically endangered, and although the park's resident rhino will not be roaming the floor on Thursday he will be a part of the festivities
"A piece of art he's made is one of the prizes," Burnette said. "We chose black rhinos because it's one of the most endangered animals in our care. His name is Sam Houston. He's from Texas."
The event has raised a buzz around town, she said, because it is something different and new for many people. The casino night will be unique to Chehaw among the three agencies that fall under the umbrella of the Artesian Alliance and also include the Flint RiverQuarium and Thronateeska Heritage Center.
"What we've tried to do is give each attraction a signature event each year," Burnette said. "I've gotten a lot of phone calls about it. People are excited we're doing something different, which is what we wanted to do."
