Roulette wheels will whir and cards will be shuffling – and maybe even Elvis will be there – all in the name of raising money for scholarships for Eastern Montgomery County children, and other good works.

Shawsvegas Casino Night will take place Saturday, March 16, at Meadowbrook Center in downtown Shawsville. Tickets at $50 each are available on the website, mountainvalleycf.com. All the details are there, too.

The evening features not only casino games, which promises to be fabulous food and drink, but maybe an opportunity for people to get their picture made with the legendary Elvis.

Mountain Valley Charitable Foundation is sponsoring the evening, which last year was St. Paddy’s Day and this year has a Mexican fiesta theme. People can don their sombreros, ponchos or “dress however they feel,” explained MVCF President Ellen Ryan of Shawsville.

There will be blackjack, roulette, poker and craps tables, as well as “horse racing,” as well as a silent auction and a live auction.

As part of the food, Shawsville resident Karen Pappas is planning another of her fantastic cakes. This one will be in the shape of an elaborate and ornate sombrero, Ryan said, adding “She is amazing.” The event runs from 6-10 p.m.

Since 2004, the foundation – which has no ties with the Mountain Valley Pipeline project – has put on charitable events that have raised more than $1.8 million to pour back into the community and its young people, especially for scholarships. The foundation developed the Meadowbrook Center in a former nursing home which now houses the Waldron Wellness Center, Meadowbrook Public Library, a recreation room and museum that preserves Eastern Montgomery County history.

The organization also renovated the old Elliston Fire House and made it into the Eastmont Thrift Store and a food bank.

Three years ago, the foundation acquired the former Shawsville Middle School Athletic Fields and turned them into the OldTown Fields where the foundation sponsors outdoor concerts each summer. The fields have space for baseball, T-ball, softball and Little League games.

This summer, the concert lineup will kick off with “Fuzzy Logic” as the first band on Thursday, May 16, “The Tams” on Friday, June 21; “Crawford and Power” on Friday, Aug. 9, and “The Worx on Thursday, Sept. 12.” Tickets are $5 at the gate, which opens at 5:30 p.m. People bring their own chairs. Food, soft drinks and beer are available. Kids 12 and under get in free.

April 20 is the deadline for students to apply for the foundation’s G.W. and Dot King Scholarship. The foundation awards $1,000 scholarships to seniors at Eastern Montgomery High School who plan to attend college or vocational school.

“We have given over $10,000 a year in scholarships to our students,” Ryan said. The organization also provides grants for community projects.

Scholarships are based on academic accomplishment, merit, service and need, according to the website. The president pointed out that foundation volunteers “feel like we make a difference” in the lives of young people who have little money to further their education. She said 80 percent of the students in the elementary school qualify for free and reduced lunch because of limited family income.

All of the Mountain Valley Charitable Foundation’s work is accomplished by volunteers, with only one paid person, an executive director, Ryan said.