Save the date, our largest fundraiser of the year Casino Night is coming up! It will be held on May 22nd starting at 5:00pm in The Conservatory at The Sussex County Fairgrounds. Since it was such a huge hit with everyone last year, we’re doing it again! To prepare everyone for the night, I thought I would go over some details on the games we will offer.

Blackjack – players compete against the dealer with the goal to try to have a hand that beats the dealer without going over 21 which is called “busting”.

Craps – is a dice game which is essentially about how you wager or bet. The Pass Line Strategy offers the best odds of winning. You place your chips on the pass line area and if the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 you win!

3 Card Poker – some say is the easiest to learn among all variations of poker. After reviewing the rules I’m unsure of that. Luckily at Casino Night, the dealers are very helpful for those who are unsure of how to play. A popular strategy for this game is to bet all hands better than Queen, Six and Four, fold with lesser value.

Texas Hold’em – aim is to have the best 5 card poker hand from any combination of the seven cards. First the players are dealt 2 cards known as “hole”, at that point you can bet or hold. Then the dealer draws 3 cards known as the “flop” and players can bet, hold or fold. Once this is completed the dealer will draw two more times with the final draw known as the “river”. The player who remains with the best hand wins!

For those, like me, who are slightly intimidated by these games, we will have Roulette as well as Slot Machines. DJ Ray Sikora will be back with karaoke (for those brave enough) and who knows…last year the festivities ended with an impromptu conga line so you never know! Come and enjoy the fun for tickets or more information look for the Casino Night tab under Get Involved on our website. Hope to see you there!

As the official start of Spring is soon approaching, on March 12th there is National Plant A Flower Day. The purpose of which is to encourage people to plant a flower to celebrate the joy and beauty that flowers bring into our daily lives. Studies have shown that having flowers, arranging flowers and even watching someone arrange flowers can have a positive effect on your overall wellbeing by reducing stress and as a proven mood enhancer. In honor of National Plant A Flower Day I thought I would share some flower fun facts.

· The most popular flower to give on Mother’s Day is the rose.

· The flower most purchased is the tulip with annual sales revenue over $65 million. The number one selling potted plant is the orchid. I don’t know about you, but I’ve given up on orchids. As someone known as the “resident plant lady” I can never get them to bloom again. Not surprisingly, the orchid is named as one of the hardest plants to grow – now I don’t feel so bad.

· Sunflowers have the most google searches of any other flower in the United States.

So, plant a flowering seed on March 12th, place it in a nice sunny window, make sure to keep the soil slightly damp and watch it sprout. When the temperature gets warmer, you can move it outdoors and with a little bit of nurturing, watch it grow and flower!