The place to be in Lake Highlands March 29^th was at the Exchange Club of Lake Highlands Auction/Casino Party held at Royal Oaks Country Club.   The crowd came in anticipation of an exciting evening, and the event delivered the winning punch.  Annually, the club holds an auction dinner, but a new twist this year added sparks, fun, and excitement as the guests raced to the ballroom set up as a casino with black jack, craps, poker and slot machines to raise money for scholarships and community needs.

        The event chairman, Jack Norman, had created an outstanding committee who worked diligently for months to create a fun evening for all who attended.  As guests arrived, they found decorated tables throughout the club with green glittered top hats with queens through aces adorning the top and large white dice with play money on top.  The dining area was designed with a fajita bar, pasta bar and appetizers ranging from tasty coconut shrimp, crispy chicken strips, cheeses and vegetable trays with dip.  Delicious dessert tables finalized the dinner that had been specially planned.  Elaborate tropical floral arrangements were scattered throughout the entire club, setting the mood for an elegant evening.

        The fun soon moved into the main ballroom as the games began.  Hoops and hollers were heard throughout the evening as lucky winners swept up their prizes.  As the evening advanced, the live auction began with special get-aways, diamond jewelry, family portraits, and other well sought after items.  The finale was selecting the winners for the fourteen raffle items the winners of the evening had taken their chance on.  All in all, the evening was a total success and fun was had by all.

        The event was projected to make approximately $50,000, but when the final count was coming in, the total was up to $70,000 with expectations of rising to higher levels.  Approximately 500 guests made the event a very successful evening. Sponsorships for this year’s event made the high total possible.  One of the diamond sponsors who continually supports the Exchange Club was former City Councilman Alan Walne.  When asked why he continually supports the Exchange Club and their programs, he said, “It has always been easy to support The Lake Highlands Exchange Club fundraising efforts because all your money stays in the community.  Other than the cost of the actual event, all the money stays in  Lake Highlands - no administration fees, no outside consulting fees, all money going to help kids through scholarships, police and firefighters, parks and recreation.  Lake Highlands Exchange has long been the standard bearer for how to put your efforts to work in the most efficient and meaningful way. We are proud sponsors of Exchange for 47 years.”  Mr. Walne’s company, Herb’s Paint and Body, and Wal-Mart Stores of North Dallas, were the top sponsors of this year’s fundraising event. 

         President Bill Sims was thrilled with the end result. When asked to share his thoughts of the event, he said, “Our 18th Annual Fundraiser was a great success! We "gambled" on changing the format some, and our wager paid off nicely.  Seriously, the support from our members, and more importantly from the Lake Highlands community helped make our Auction & Casino a success! We took a little risk by changing a good thing, but under Jack Norman and his committee's leadership, we pulled it off.  By all accounts and the positive feedback we've received, we will probably do it again next year.  Certainly, we can tweak certain aspects, but the overall concept was well received. And lest we forget, the end game is to invest the funds into our Lake Highlands community and its people to make a difference!  And for that, I want to thank everyone who played a part in this effort!