South Nassau's Casino Royale comes up aces

use in Baldwin on March 9 for the fourth-annual Casino Royale Night, which supported the expansion of South Nassau Communities Hospital’s emergency department.

Tammy Marshall, the executive director of Maple Pointe Assisted Living in Rockville Centre, was the special honoree. Marshall and her team at Maple Pointe has raised over $72,000 on behalf of South Nassau through multiple fundraisers she has organized over the past several years.  This year, she expanded her efforts, launching a host of new events that have increased donations.

In addition to her responsibilities at Maple Pointe, Marshall serves on the board of directors as well as executive committee of the New York State Center for Assisted Living.

Attendees spent the night dancing and playing all sorts of the popular Vegas-style games such as black jack, craps, and roulette, in addition to “Top Hat Bingo,” where the winner received a top hat filled with casino money and prizes.  There was also a buffet dinner and raffle prizes.

Proceeds from the event will support South Nassau’s emergency department Expansion Campaign.  The campaign is a five-year, $10 million fundraising initiative to help pay for a $60 million renovation of the Oceanside emergency department

The department as it sits now was designed to handle about 35,000 visitors. But in 2013, it had about 65,000 visits — almost twice the original number. That total is expected to grow even more and the hospital must expand the space to meet the demand.