PokerWorks

For the second year in a row, the poker industry has the opportunity to show its always impressive generous nature by participating in the fight to benefit a cerebral palsy foundation. The All In for CP tournament is scheduled to take place on Saturday, December 12, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, and a list of poker and Hollywood celebrities are already committed to be in attendance.

The All In for CP charity poker event will consist of a silent charity auction, a live auction, and a $550 buy-in poker tournament that begins at 2pm, with 50 percent of the fee going to the players’ prize pool and the other 50 percent going directly to benefit the One Step Closer Foundation to aid those diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The tournament will also offer $200 rebuys for the first 90 minutes of action.

An extraordinary list of participants has already been assembled. From the poker community, 2009 WSOP Main Event champion Joe Cada has submitted his RSVP, as well as Dennis Phillips, Michael Binger, Nick Binger, Kirk Morrison, Noah Schwartz, Lacey Jones, Barry Greenstein, Jamie Gold, Phil Laak, Clonie Gowen, Men Nguyen, and Pam and Todd Brunson. The event will be hosted by actress and poker pro Jennifer Tilly, and other celebrities confirmed to play in the tournament include Montel Williams, Shannon Elizabeth, Scott Ian, Sam Simon, Dean Cain, Mekhi Phifer, Cheryl Hines, Glenn Morshower, model Stacy Fusion, musician Jerry Cantrell, model Brande Roderick, hockey player Aaron Spangler, and football pro Glenn Cadrez.

The One Step Closer Foundation was started by cerebral palsy survivor Jacob Zalewski, who founded the nonprofit organization in 2007 to ease the lives of those suffering from CP. By organizing fundraising efforts, OSCF is able to support groups and individuals with financial aid as well as researchers who seek to treat and eventually cure the disease. Zalewski’s hope is also to raise awareness and understanding of the disease. “We hope to see a future where cerebral palsy is a thing of the past,” he said. “We know we are getting one step closer to that vision every day.”

Last year’s tournament raised $44,000 for the OSCF, and organizers hope to surpass that number this year. For more information on the tournament, visit www.allinforcp.com, and for more information on Zalewski’s efforts, visit www.1scf.org.