The bets came high and heavy in celebrity Texas Hold 'Em and the high rollers crowded around the craps table to sneak their bets in whenever someone would hit a run of luck. Whether the participants left the tables with fists full of chips or with empty pockets, one thing was certain. The house won big.

The United Service Organizations (USO) of Metropolitan Washington's 2005 Stars and Stripes, Diamonds and Clubs "Casino Night" gala succeeded in producing winners--members of the armed services from all around the region.

The USO raised $10,000 for their local service member programs that include, among others, a food assistance program, emergency housing, job fairs and family service centers.

More than 100 donors, celebrities and service members attended the event, including Miss America 2005 Deidre Downs, country star Jolie Edwards, "America's Tenor" Daniel Rodriguez, World Wrestling Entertainment stars Mick Foley, Ron Simmons and Chris Nowinski, retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. R. Lee Ermey from the television program "Mail Call," and USO's "Liberty Belles."

In addition to the gourmet buffet and open bar, participants were treated to performances by the Liberty Belles and Daniel Rodriguez, silent auctions and a live auction with prizes like sculptures by renowned artists and trips to Iceland and Las Vegas.

Service members, wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom and recovering at regional military hospitals, rubbed elbows with the stars and soaked in the upscale atmosphere.

Army Spc. Jarob Walsh was among the service members. He had been at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for 13 months recovering from multiple gunshot wounds he received in Baghdad when his convoy was attacked near the airport. The truck driver Thomas Hamill, whose eventual escape was widely publicized, was among those captured by insurgents in the surprise attack. Walsh expects six more months of therapy and two more surgeries before being medically discharged from the Army.

He said he was glad that the USO does so much work for the service members in the area. He had gone to basketball games and special events and got to lead celebrities like Michael Jordan and Bruce Willis on tours of the hospital. He said USO events helped bring some excitement to the service members' lives.

The event was so successful that the USO of Metropolitan Washington plans to make it an annual occurrence, getting bigger and better every year.

For more information on the wide variety of USO programs and offerings in the Washington, D.C., area, check out www.usometrodc.org.

Credit: DCMilitary.com

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