Lynn nonprofit gambling on a winning fundraiser

LYNN – As a street outreach worker, Antonio Gutierrez routinely works with youth familiar with the risks of violence and the life of the streets.Saturday he and board members of the nonprofit Lynn Youth Street Outreach Advocacy are asking the public to take a risk – and attend the organization’s annual Casino Night fundraiser.”Every little bit counts to keep the program itself going,” Gutierrez said.Gutierrez is a street outreach worker and the primary public face of Lynn Youth Street Outreach Advocacy, a nonprofit founded in 2011 to advocate for and provide services for at-risk and proven-risk youth in the Lynn.Gutierrez said that the only regular aspect to his days is that he seems to always be walking somewhere around the city. He is a familiar presence in Lynn Juvenile Court and Lynn District Court, sitting with families of victims and defendants awaiting court decisions, conversing with lawyers and vouching for youth or young adults standing before a judge.He is also a familiar presence on the local streets and basketball courts, hoping to impact kids before they have to appear in a courthouse. Then there are his clients’ specific needs: case management and help finding homes, jobs and services.All those efforts cost more money than is provided by grants. So the organization is turning Old Tyme Italian Cuisine Restaurant on Boston Street into a casino Saturday night. There will be a roulette wheel, blackjack and poker. Admission is $10 but includes $10 worth of chips.A raffle for two Patriots tickets (including transportation to the game and tailgating with School Committee member Rick Starbard and Gutierrez) is limited to 100 tickets, of which 15 remain available at a price of $10 each, said Teresa DiGregorio, Gutierrez’s fiancee and colleague at the nonprofit.DiGregorio said guests can expect hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and celebrity dealers.