PokerWorks

The poker industry has long realized that hosting a poker tournament to raise funds for various charities is an enormously successful venture. Over time, events that bragged of notable poker pros at the tournaments have come to be able to include the names of numerous celebrities who regularly attend noteworthy events. Now, celebrities and charities are putting together poker tournaments independent of the poker industry, for the most part, in order to raise money and awareness for their causes. Such is the case with the upcoming Celebrity Charity Poker tournament in Palm Springs.

Organized to benefit Until There’s a Cure, a non-profit organization with the goal of eradicating HIV/AIDS, the Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament is set to take place on Friday, March 27th at the Cascade Lounge of the Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs. In addition to a silent auction and musical performance by soul music star Farrow to raise funds, there will be two poker tournaments, both of which are open to the public.

The first tournament will begin at 8pm on Friday, March 27th with a $5,000 buy-in. The following day, on Saturday, March 28th, a lower stakes tournament will take place at noon with a $100 buy-in. Both poker tournaments will boast of celebrity bounties, various other donated prizes like golf outings and entry to a World Poker Tour cruise, and a cash prize pool. Later that night, the silent auction with memorabilia from the worlds of sports and entertainment will look to raise additional funds and be followed by a musical performance by Farrow at the Viceroy Palm Springs.

Confirmed to appear and participate in the fundraising events are Daniel Baldwin, Tara Reid, Jason London, Kim Coles, and Ray Wise. Accompanying the celebrities will be notables from the sports community like NFL Pro Bowl player Kassim Osgood and Beijing Olympic gold medalist Dawn Harper. No professional poker players have yet to be added to the list.

The public is welcome to all of the events, but tickets are limited. For more information and to reserve a spot, visit http://poker.weknowwhatyouneed.com.

All proceeds from the two-day event will benefit Until There’s a Cure, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating HIV/AIDS through fundraising and spreading the word. Ultimately, the UTAC dream is to see no one new infected with HIV and to see a cure for HIV to help those currently affected. The organization’s goal is to fund prevention education and awareness programs, services for patients and their families, and fund the development of a vaccine through sales of a special bracelet offered on the website. To find out more about the bracelets and how you can help, visit UTAC (www.utac.org).