Adult club dancers are on hand at fund-raiser

Thursday, Sept. 7, 2000 | 11:33 a.m.

Las Vegas civic leaders got a chance to bid on sports memorabilia and press some flesh with bikini-clad adult dancers at a July 14 fund-raiser for Youth Charities of Southern Nevada.

Mike Meyer, president of the high-powered charity, confirmed Wednesday that about a half-dozen dancers from the Crazy Horse Too topless night club were on hand to help with the auction, which took place at the upscale Piero's restaurant.

The women were loaned to the male-dominated event by Crazy Horse Too owner Rick Rizzolo, who is a Youth Charities board member, Meyer said.

"We thought it would make it more fun," said Meyer, director of athletics and community relations at the Community College of Southern Nevada. "I think it was done in good taste."

Meyer said the dancers, who appeared in bikinis and were not topless, merely were on hand to display auction items to the well-heeled bidders.

"If you're looking for raunchy, this was not raunchy," one board member said. "They were just there to help make it more exciting. They flirted with the guys and encouraged them to bid higher."

Added former Las Vegas Mayor Ron Lurie: "They didn't do any lap dances. They didn't do anything out of line. They were just holding up the merchandise." Lurie, who also is on the group's board, said the dancers wore outfits that you normally would see around a pool.

"We wouldn't be involved with anything that wasn't above board, especially dealing with a youth charity," he said.

According to its mission statement, Youth Charities was created a year ago as a volunteer organization to "enhance the lives of children and their families through support in the areas of education, health, life safety community service and athletics.

"Its goals," the statement adds, "are to recognize and support children for high achievement and to help any child in need regardless of ability, socioeconomic status, race or religion."

Meyer said most of his 27 board members attended the fund-raiser, including Las Vegas City Councilman Michael McDonald, Piero's owner Freddie Glusman, Las Vegas convention boss Manny Cortez, Clark County Public Administrator Jared Shafer and Assistant District Attorney J. Charles Thompson.

In all about 100 guests showed up, he said.

Thompson, the organization's treasurer, said he never saw any dancers because he stayed outside the event collecting money.

Meyer praised Rizzolo's work on the auction, which raised $37,000 for various area youth causes.

"He did a lot of work on this himself," Meyer said, "He got a lot of items for us, and he was very helpful."