Monte Carlo Night: Toro Athletics Holds Inaugural Fun and Fund Raiser

CSU Dominguez Hills Athletics welcomed a nearly sold-out contingent of local businesses, faculty and staff to the first Toros Monte Carlo Night on February 24, at the newly-reopened Loker Student Union.

Patrick Guillen, director, CSUDH Athletics, underscores the need for additional major fundraising events for scholarships.

“In years past, we held only one fundraiser, the Annual Toros Scholarship Golf Classic,” he says.“In order for us to get to the next level of serving our students, we needed to add more special events.”

Presented in part by CSUDH Athletics corporate partner, The Trusperity Realty Services, the Toros Monte Carlo Night featured dinner, dancing, a silent auction, opportunity drawings and an array of standard gaming options including blackjack, craps and roulette.

As guests entered the LSU lobby, they were greeted by student-athletes, who presented them the opportunity to bid on 20 silent auction items including tickets to this year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Final Four; rooftop tickets for a Chicago Cubs game; a weekend getaway at the Holiday Inn Santa Monica Beach; and a round of golf at the PGA’s Southern California Golf Club.

Members of the men’s and women’s soccer teams served dinner to all attendees while KDHR, CSUDH’s Internet radio station, provided music. After dinner, the gaming commenced, highlighted by a lively craps table headed by CSUDH baseball head coach Murphy Su’a and a very lucky blackjack table, which provided a winning season for CSUDH track and field head coach Warren Edmonson. Assistant soccer coach Jeff Tuttle’s card-counting acumen proved advantageous at this particular game.

“Monte Carlo Night was a huge success for not only CSUDH Athletics and our student-athletes, but also for the campus as a whole and everyone who enjoyed themselves,” said Deann Schlobohm, special events coordinator, CSUDH Athletics. “We were thrilled by the turnout, and by the festive atmosphere our Toro friends and family brought to the event, making this night one to remember. We’re already looking forward to making the 2nd Annual Monte Carlo night bigger and better.”

According to Guillen, all Toros Athletics scholarships must be privately funded. He names several private and corporate sponsors of Toro Athletics, including Coca-Cola, the Torrance Holiday Inn, Doubletree Carson Civic Plaza, Mary Carrido, Dr. Robert Blaine, and L.A Schools Federal Credit Union.

“This year we are dispersing approximately $350K in athletic scholarships,” he says, “with funds from corporate and private partnerships, fundraising events, and other activities. These will help students in several majors related to athletics, such as kinesiology, business, and communications.”

This year’s 17th Annual Toros Scholarship Golf Classic will be held on Friday, June 1 at Meadowlark Golf Club in Huntington Beach. For more information, call Deann Schlobohm at (310) 243-2548.

For a photo gallery of the event, click here.

- Mel Miranda and Joanie Harmon-Whetmore

Photos above: Friends, family, and local business turned out to the first Toro Athletics Monte Carlo Night in the Loker Student Union. (L-R) Alonzo Green, marketing and promotions coordinator, Athletics; Van Girard, head women's basketball coach; Robert Spoeri, Esq.; and Patrick Guillen, director, Athletics. All photos by GK