GAMBLE AGAINST CANCER
notes by Alan Edwards

            It all began in 1985, when then District-5 President Mary ‘Ronnie’ Heinemann conceived of an idea to host a Las Vegas setting; where ‘patrons’ would receive script in exchange for a donation, and that script would be used for gambling. Any winnings would then be exchanged for items donated or made by the Ladies Auxiliary. Then Department President Kay Alcorn thought it was a grand idea and, with Kay’s support, the “Las Vegas Night at VFW Post-549” was launched as a Department function.
            Held annually about Saint Patrick’s Day, the “Las-Vegas Night” became an immediate success story. It has since become an institutional fixture in Arizona’s VFW Ladies Auxiliary calendar of events, and continues to be hosted by VFW Post-549 in Tucson. This single-activity generates about $7,000 in donations annually to Cancer Research; which approximates $154,000 over the events’ 22 year life-cycle.
            There have been different event-organizers over the years, but the person with the most passion for this activity was Past Department President Wanda Stuart. In 2001 members of the Ladies Auxiliary honored Wanda, by changing the name of the event to the “Wanda Stuart Memorial Las Vegas Night”. Since 2001 the event has been coordinated by ‘Ronnie’ Heinemann with help from Lucille Lombardo, Charlie K and many, many, others.
            Arizona’s VFW Ladies Auxiliary can take considerable pride and satisfaction in their continuing contributions to Cancer Research. Other VFW Department Auxiliaries have their own methods of fund raising, but none has the ‘magic’ or the tradition of Arizona’s “Las Vegas Night”.

Members of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary welcome ‘patrons’ to the 2007 “Wanda Stuart Memorial Las Vegas Night” at Tucson Post-549 (L-R): Auxiliary Department Treasurer  Nancy Kane; Event creator and Department Vice President ‘Ronnie’ Heinemann; Department Color Bearer Lucille Lombardo; and Post 549 President Linda Link.