UNICO Chapter Hosts Casino Night Fundraiser

One of Hillsborough’s newest cultural organizations brings a touch of Atlantic City to Hillsborough on Saturday.

The Hillsborough UNICO chapter will hold its primary fundraising event, Casino Night, from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday at Roycebrook Country Club. Tickets are available in advance for $75 or for $100 at the door.

Hillsborough’s UNICO chapter is just two years old, having been officially started in 2009. Since then, the chapter’s marched in Raritan’s John Basilone parade and in the Columbus Day Parade in New York.

“We’d been looking to have a chapter here for a while,” Jack Genchi, chapter president, said. “It’s basically that we found that there were a lot of Italian Americans in the area, so we wanted to start it.”

The national organization’s commitment to service is something the Hillsborough chapter’s taken to heart. As a result, its goal is to provide scholarships to Hillsborough High School students, Genchi said.

The chapter awarded its first scholarship in 2010, to high school student Deanna Russo. Students receiving the scholarships must apply for it through the school’s guidance department, and meet certain academic and extracurricular criteria.

Though the organization looks for Italian heritage, it is not required for applications, Genchi said.

“We were happy to give her the scholarship,” he said of the club’s effort. “It did her good and we want to continue it.”

Those interested in advance tickets can contact Genchi at njack53@comcast.net .