‘Luck of the Irish’ Takes on Kidney Disease

The “Luck of the Irish” was the evening’s wish as 500 guests flooded the atrium of the Ronald Reagan Building March 2 for a casino night to benefit the National Kidney Foundation. Notables included Washington Redskins Pro Bowler and honorary chair Lorenzo Alexander with fellow teammates Reed Doughty, Kedric Golston and Chris Wilson as well as Dallas Cowboy Anthony Armstrong. The event was emceed by ABC7’s Jummy Olanbanji and ESPN 980 host Scott Jackson. Each of the speakers has been personally affected by kidney disease in some way and came out to raise awareness for the cause. There are approximately 700,000 in the D.C. area suffering from kidney disease, nearly 6,000 on dialysis and 1,500 waiting for a lifesaving kidney transplant.

Highlights included traditional casino games, a silent auction, a performance by the ladies of the O’Neil James School of Irish Dance and a dress-up photo booth where guests donned their favorite costumes and snapped silly pictures. The night was capped off by a version of the latest viral Internet dance craze, the Harlem Shake, where NFL players and guests alike joined in the fun.