Behind the scenes of VCC Live’s charity casino night

At VCC Live, we firmly believe in the power of giving back. During this year’s Contact Conference, we were fortunate enough to organize a charity game to support three organizations doing amazing work. 

Let’s revisit our charity function together and discover exactly how we picked and supported these foundations. 

Step 1: Come up with the game

Who doesn’t love a good game?

We decided to combine the fun and anticipation of casino games (such as Blackjack and Roulette) with the rewarding feeling of supporting a good cause. 

The rules were simple: gather tokens throughout the day, play in the evening, and donate your winnings to one of the three charities featured. No real money is needed – it’s on us!

Step 2: Pick three charities

There are hundreds of NGOs within Hungary helping those who are in need, each remarkable in their own field. After careful consideration, we decided to focus on three areas and shortlist three charities each, to represent those who need our help the most.

Within children’s welfare, we have selected 

• Bethesda Kórház Alapítvány, a child-centered, family-friendly hospital with outstanding medical expertise,
• Gyermekétkeztetési Alapítvány, a foundation ensuring no child is going hungry, and 
• Bátor Tábor Alapítvány, which provides life-changing experiences for children living with chronic diseases. 

Within the cause of animals, our choices were

• Hangya Közösség Alapítvány, which supports rural animal shelters,
• Minden Állatért Alapítvány, a foundation focusing on all sorts of animals including hedgehogs, parrots and even wild boars, and
• Országos Állatvédőrség, whose main goal is to educate people on how to be responsible pet owners.

Within social support, we nominated

• NANE, an organization protecting victims of domestic abuse,
• Magyar Máltai Szeretetszolgálat, a charitable organization taking care of 15,000 people every day, and
• Magyar Vakok és Gyengénlátók Országos Szövetsége, which supports blind and partially sighted individuals. 

We decided to involve our audience in the final decision: we shared our nominations on LinkedIn and organized three polls to find our three winners. 

Step 3: Announce the winners

Just weeks before the conference, the polls closed and we announced the three winners picked by our wonderful audience. 

Children: Bethesda Kórház Alapítvány (Bethesda Children’s Hospital)

Bethesda Children’s Hospital is a Budapest-based hospital, well-known for its child-centered, family-friendly approach and outstanding medical expertise. In the fields of epilepsy and burn surgery, Bethesda also serves as a national center and provides treatment for children from all over the country.

The Bethesda Hospital Foundation collects funds to improve the medical infrastructure available for young patients and to provide a friendly environment for their healing.

Animals: Hangya Közösség Alapítvány (Ant Community)

The Ant Community was set up in 2010 to support rural animal shelters with large numbers of animals. They currently operate as a donation-distributing, public benefit, umbrella organization who are in contact with more than 350 animal welfare organizations nationwide.

The Ant Community’s work is multi-faceted, from awareness-raising to recycling and feeding, handling tangible donations, and providing professional and legal support. In their work, they have recognized that every animal welfare problem is rooted in overpopulation. For four years now, they have been focusing on prevention, which has already helped thousands of animals.

Social support: Magyar Máltai Szeretetszolgálat (The Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta)

The Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta is one of the largest charitable organizations in Hungary, taking care of an average of 15,000 people every day. 

Its employees and volunteers provide help grounded in Christian values. The organization’s philosophy is to always have an open door for those in need. Their initiatives include providing eyeglasses for homeless individuals, setting up the first wheelchair repair workshop, and introducing signal-based home care. For them, true assistance means going beyond immediate needs and offering long-term support and commitment.

Step 4: Showtime

Luck was definitely on the players’ side during the charity game, and we couldn’t be happier: each foundation received donations throughout the evening. 

Here’s a little sneak peek:

Following the event, the raised funds have been transferred to the organizations, hopefully helping their amazing causes forward.

Step 5: Let’s continue supporting these foundations

The organizations mentioned above, both the winners and the shortlisted ones, protect the most vulnerable children, adults, and animals. Supporting their causes can make a real difference and strengthen the communities we’re all part of. 

We encourage you to make a contribution and help build a better future with us, one step at a time.