Great Ormond Street Hospital treats over 100,000 children each year who are suffering from life-threatening, complex and rare illnesses. "The Great Ormond Street Hospital is such a monumental charity, responsible for saving and nurturing the lives of so many children, it was our distinct pleasure and esteemed privilege to be a part of those efforts set forth here today. The National Poker League is highly committed to giving back to the communities in which we are involved, and will continue to do so as we cross great distances and endless bounds on our journey." added Andy Liakos, Director of Public Relations for the NPL.
"We are so very grateful to NPL and The Loose Cannon Club for their brilliant fundraising efforts. Great Ormond Street Hospital is a world-class hospital but needs to raise £50 million each year to continue our pioneering work. The generosity of all those who donated money and prizes will help take us closer to this goal," said Cherie Murphy, Fundraising Executive for the hospital.
The players took part in a champagne reception and silent auction with prizes donated by companies like RBC Capital Markets, AEG Live and fashion designer Pauline Burrows, whose designer shirt drew multiple bids from the more fashion-conscious poker players in attendance. All was not fun and games, as Tony Poulengeris took breaks from his winning run at UK Open Event #4 to lay down the winning bid on the spectacular trip to Marrakech.
Poker Cares is an offshoot of the National Poker League, sponsor of the UK Open. The charity is made up of poker players, fans and industry folks who want to make a difference in their community. The charity's goal is "to unite fundraisers, causes, donors, players and socially responsible businesses in the world of poker." This charity event and auction marked another event in the successful launch of the National Poker League 2007 world tour, which will include stops in Australia and Las Vegas.