VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Hometown hero David Wright, former captain of the New York Mets, hosted the 9th annual Wright Night January 18, with hundreds enjoying a Vegas-style evening at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.

The night of casino gaming, cocktails, and a live auction raised $179,000 for CHKD, with Metal Tech as the presenting sponsor.

Wright, a seven-time All-Star third baseman, recently retired as a Mets player, and now works for the Mets’ front office as a special assistant to the general manager.

Born in Norfolk and raised in Chesapeake, Wright has been a long-time supporter of CHKD, even dropping by the hospital to play games and talk baseball with the children. Over the past nine years, the Vegas-style charity event he hosts has raised nearly $1.6 million for the kids at CHKD.

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CHKD is the only freestanding children’s hospital in Virginia and serves the medical and surgical needs of children throughout greater Hampton Roads, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and northeastern North Carolina. The not-for-profit CHKD Health System operates primary care pediatric practices, surgical practices, multi-service health centers, urgent care centers and satellite offices throughout its service region.