The normally cutthroat world of poker once again will show its heart at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles by stepping up for a charity event later this month.
On October 23rd, the Commerce will play host to the Second Annual Children’s Institute Poker For A Cause. The event will start at 11:30AM with the opportunity for fans to greet the participants and take photos. Following the red carpet walk, the players will adjourn to the Commerce Casino tournament rooms at 12:30PM to battle it out for a prize pool of more than $15,000, a seat in the 2011 World Poker Tour (WPT) Celebrity Invitational on February 18th at the Commerce, and many other prizes.
The Children’s Institute is an organization that advocates for children in violent situations, such as domestic violence, child abuse, and/or neglect. The organization’s website states that there are more than 50,000 reports of child abuse/neglect reported annually in the city of Los Angeles and over 43,000 police calls for domestic violence issues that often affect children.
These children sometimes will fall victim to the circle of violence, usually reflected in poor performance in school, becoming criminally active, or repeating the trend of violence against loved ones. The Children’s Institute serves more than 17,000 children and their families in the city’s most challenged neighborhoods and has trained more than 60,000 professionals in the realm of child development, mental health, and welfare.
Taking on the hostess duties for the second year in a row for the “Poker For A Cause” festivities is acclaimed actress Camryn Manheim, an Emmy award winner who has also showed her skills on the poker tables. Joining Camryn for this year’s event will be noted Seinfeld actor and Friend of PokerStars Jason Alexander, the voice of The Simpsons Hank Azaria, actress Joely Fisher, legendary Days Of Our Lives performer Deirdre Hall, Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s Cheryl Hines, talk show host Ricki Lake, former Saturday Night Live standouts Kevin Nealon and Cheri Oteri, and actors Mimi Rogers, Sara Rue, and Tuc Watkins. Joining them will be a fleet of poker pros.
Also on tap during the action on the felt will be a silent auction featuring one-of-a-kind merchandise for bidding including items such as an extravagant four-night stay at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Hawaii, a guitar signed by teen singing sensation Miley Cyrus, a year of unlimited dining at Johnny Rockets, and a tennis match with Bush singer Gavin Rossdale.
The inaugural Poker For A Cause event last year was a huge success, drawing a star-studded field while raising over $80,000 for the Children’s Institute’s philanthropic efforts. 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Jamie Gold and fellow poker pro Alex Outhred were in attendance and helped Manheim with the emcee duties for the tournament. Last year’s field included many of the celebrities listed above and also included baseball slugger Jose Canseco, former Beverly Hills, 90210 actress Jennie Garth, The Ghost Whisperer’s Jennifer Love Hewitt, actor Mekhi Phifer, and The Biggest Loser host Alison Sweeney. The tournament was won by Tuc Watkins, who donated a large portion of the $5,000 first place prize in the tournament back to the organization.
Tickets for the Children’s Institute’s charity event are available on the organization’s website. To play in the tournament, a $250 donation is requested. For those that wish to attend the tournament as a spectator, a $75 donation is requested.
