Lenoir Community College is proud to announce its celebrity dealers for its annual Casino Night.

Pink Hill Mayor Carol “Snake Eyes” Sykes rejoins the LCC Foundation this year as a celebrity dealer at Casino Night. The event will be held Jan. 25 from 6:30-10 p.m. in the Culinary Arts Center at LCC.

Tables open at 7 p.m., and tickets are $50 per person. Proceeds from the event benefit the LCC scholarship program.

As an LCC Foundation supporter for a number of years, Sykes has participated in Casino Night, a Mark Twain play and Dancing with The Stars, where she and her partner, Roger Dail, performed.

Sykes said she has never been to Las Vegas or Atlantic City to gamble but she has been spotted at a few tables in the Dominican Republic. She claims she is a very good bluffer and hates to lose so she “don’t give nuttin’ away.”

Depending on the day of the week, you can find Sykes helping her community at UNC Lenoir Healthcare Hospital, United Way, Rotary Club, Red Cross and the Kinston-Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce. If it’s the weekend, you will likely find her down at the beach enjoying some rest and relaxation.

Nathan Perry, Owner Broker at Nathan Perry Realty, also joins the LCC Foundation this year as a celebrity dealer at Casino Night.

Nathan Perry Realty is a full-service real estate company and has been a big supporter of the LCC Foundation. A native of Kinston, Perry and his wife, Summer, are no strangers to LCC. He attended LCC in the past for summer school while attending ECU.

He said he knows his way around a casino and picked up a lot of his knowledge from trips to Las Vegas and Atlantic City in recent years. He enjoys playing poker with friends as a member of Kinston Country Club, which is where you may also find him playing golf in his free time.

When asked what advice he has for gambling attendees of this year’s event, Perry said, “Patience. There are highs and lows; you’ve have to have patience and ride out those highs and lows.”

Pride of Kinston Executive Director Leon Steele is making his debut as a celebrity dealer at Casino Night.

On any given day, you can find Steele in downtown Kinston working hard with, as he says, the best volunteers there are. Though he has only been here for a short time, Steele definitely has a vision for Kinston. What he loves is how the community works together to make Kinston the best it can be. He loves meeting people and the interaction with the community.

Since Steele lived in New Orleans for some time, he has some experience with casinos. He said while he can bluff, he can’t hold it well or for a long time. He encourages everyone to come see him at his table and bring your money and “poker” face.  

Retired Executive Director of the Lenoir/Greene United Way June Cummings is also going to be a celebrity dealer at Casino Night.

When asked what you could find her doing on any given day, Cummings said she is not busy, just blessed and then proceeds to list the many organizations she is a part of in the community. Some of them include the LCC Board of Trustees, LCC Foundation Board of Directors, Chairman of Juvenile Crime Prevention, President of her book club and Eastpointe Human Rights Committe. She is also a member of her church choir. She loves working with the Lenoir County Community Council of the Arts and the Pride of Kinston.

Cummings said she loves to go to Las Vegas and enjoys seeing the shows. She also loves playing card games. She claims she has a great poker face and encourages everyone to come out and see her. Her advice for everyone is to bring your purse or billfold and don’t worry about tomorrow.

Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available for purchase online at www.lenoircc.edu/casino or by contacting Katherine Pearson, Development Coordinator, in the LCC Foundation office at 252-233-6843.