Players and fans attend third annual Flyers Charities Casino Night: ‘It’s all around an awesome night’
Flyers players played casino-style games including blackjack and roulette to raise money for charity
The red carpet was rolled out at the Crystal Tea Room, in the heart of Philadelphia, for the 2024 Flyers Charities Casino Night. Flyers fans and players alike hit the casino-style floor and participated in casino games including blackjack, poker, and roulette all for a good cause — raising funds for charity.
“It’s really fun for us because as players we get to interact with the fans face-to-face and that’s something that we don’t usually get to do,” said Flyers defenseman Cam York. “And it kind of is a way for us to show our support to fans and thank them for what they do for us during the season. It’s a super fun night and on top of that it all goes to charity so it’s all around an awesome night.”
Thursday’s event marked the third annual Casino Night with all proceeds benefiting the Flyers Charities’ mission of creating strong communities by eliminating financial barriers and reviving play spaces to grow the game of hockey and aiding local families affected by cancer throughout the Greater Philadelphia region.
The event gave fans a chance to interact with their favorite players — something Flyers general manager Danny Brière finds important for the organization.
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“Get to know our players a little better, see how personable they are,” Brière said. “Sometimes hockey players are a little reluctant to open up. In a setting like this it’s really a great chance to get to know them better and ask the questions that sometimes they can’t answer on TV.”
In addition to playing casino-style games, silent auctions bids were taken for prizes, like Philadelphia sports memorabilia — including a signed Matvei Michkov jersey and a signed Jalen Hurts framed photo — a five-star golf getaway to Ireland, and a wine lovers’ trip to Portugal.
Marquee events such as the Flyers Charities Casino Night have contributed more than $32 million back to the community. The Flyers hope to continue their success with future events, including more Casino Nights.
“I’m hoping that it just gets bigger and bigger every year,” said Blair Listino, the president of Flyers Charities and the Flyers’ alternate governor. “This will be more attendees than we’ve had in the past. Every year attendance gets a little bit higher which makes it a little bit hard because every year we’re looking for a bigger and bigger venue as we grow. And then I just hope that we continue getting repeat customers. If you walk around tonight, most of the people you talk to, this is their second or third time they’ve been here.”