PokerWorks

In the season of giving, there is no better time than December to host a charity tournament. And as poker players are becoming known for their year-round generosity when it comes to donations to worthy causes, many of them have already committed to the Poker Jingle at the Hard Rock Poker Lounge on December 12th.

The cause is the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Southern Nevada, inspired by the recent death of poker community member Mindy Trinidad who only weeks ago lost her battle with leukemia. The tournament to benefit the well-known organization will be hosted by Tom McEvoy and attended by many members of the poker community, some of whom include Phil Hellmuth, Jamie Gold, Erick Lindgren, Jennifer Harman, Andy Bloch, Barry Greenstein, J.J. Liu, Antonio Esfandiari, Layne Flack, Lee Watkinson, Lee Markholt, James Van Alstyne, Marco Traniello, Chad Brown, Brandon Cantu, Jeff Madsen, Roy Winston, Maria Ho, Beth Shak, Tiffany Michelle, and Mark Newhouse. More names are being added as the date approaches.

The festivities are scheduled to begin at 2pm with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, at which time a silent auction will take place with proceeds donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In addition, friend and former WPT Ladies Night finalist Kelli Griggs will present a tribute to Trinidad. At 3pm, the $200 + $30 poker tournament will begin. The public is welcome to participate, and spectators will be included in the atmosphere as well with the opportunity to socialize with, obtain autographs from, and even play poker with the pros.

The first of what is planned to be an annual event has lined up numerous sponsors and looks to make a positive impact on an organization that always needs help and honor Mindy Trinidad who lost her battle with leukemia. Trinidad was an avid poker player who counted among her successes on the felt a 2007 WSOP final table and a victory at the Reno Hilton’s Pot of Gold tournament. She was also a wife and mother of two children, and her recent diagnosis with leukemia led to complications that led to her death just before the 2008 holiday season.

Trinidad’s father noted in a conversation with Griggs, “We are all very excited about the event; we are looking forward to being there. My sweet new friend, can you even fathom a father saying he is excited about anything just weeks after the loss of his pride and joy? So , when the cynics of the world trip you up and make your life harder - remember the Trinidad’s. Your hard work is giving our family a reason to celebrate and come together.”

The Trinidad family will be flying from California to attend the Poker Jingle at the Hard Rock Poker Lounge on December 12. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), which is the world’s largest volunteer-based health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education, and patient services. The organization’s overall mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s Disease, and myeloma, and improve the quality of the lives of patients and their families in the process. Founded in 1949, LLS has invested more than $600 million in research to further its mission. More information can be found at www.leukemia-lymphoma.org.

Pre-registration for the poker tournament is encouraged, as seats will be limited. More information and registration is available at www.lls.org/pokerjingle.