We’re already into the second week of December and, as such, the online poker room UB.com is set to host its monthly Second Sundays charity tournament. This month, the beneficiary of the fundraiser is the North Wales Library in Pennsylvania.
The tournament will begin at 2:45pm ET today and requires a $10 buy-in, with no additional fee going to the house. The entire prize pool will be given to the North Wales Library, along with a 100% match by UB.com.
The top ten finishers in the tournament will receive a free entry into Sunday’s $200,000 Guaranteed, a $215 value. The winner will also be awarded a Wireless Poker Controller. Additionally, whoever knocks out tournament host Maria Ho, the newest member of Team UB.com, will win a $66 entry into that day’s $7,000 Guaranteed, which kicks off at 9:30pm ET.
Those who wish to donate, but are unable to participate in the tournament can do so via a player-to-player transfer to the account “CHARITIES.” The first name “Charity” will be needed to complete the transfer.
The North Wales Library dates back all the way to 1927, when it was founded in the basement of the North Wales Elementary School. As one might expect, the library outgrew the small space and that, combined with its administrators’ desire for additional facilities for activities, resulted in the purchase of a new building in 2008. It took two years to renovate the building to suit the library’s needs and it re-opened at the beginning of this year.
Despite housing over 30,000 volumes and containing a space for community functions, there is a continual need for funds to support the facility. It is more than just a local library today, serving many more people than just the North Wales locals. In addition to North Wales, people come from Lansdale, Hatfield, Upper Gwynedd, as well as the Montgomery and Towamencin Townships to use the facilities and take advantage of its programs. North Wales is approximately 20 miles north of Philadelphia.
Ho, the last woman standing in the 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and a competitor on the CBS reality series ” Amazing Race,” was introduced as a member of Team UB.com last month. She is particularly excited to be involved with this charity event:
“Second Sundays is truly a way for people to play a game that they love, all the while helping a great cause, and I am proud to be a part of such a philanthropic gesture on behalf of UB.com,” she said in a statement released this week. “Growing up, I frequented my local library and had my nose buried in books any chance I got, so helping to raise money for the North Wales Library is something very close to my heart. We should all be in support of improving the quality of learning and educational tools for Americans of all ages.”
As might be apparent from the name, “Second Sundays” tournaments are held on the second Sunday of each month on UB.com. Players on Absolute Poker, UB.com’s sister site on the CEREUS Network, may also participate in the event.
Last month, Second Sundays was hosted by Team UB.com member Joe Sebok and raised $4,172.50 for the Justin Shronk Memorial Scholarship Fund. Shronk was a beloved member of the poker media, having worked at PokerNews, Bluff, CardPlayer, and Sebok’s PokerRoad Radio. Shronk passed away in April 2009. To honor his life, the Fund was established at the Temple University School of Communications and Theater to provide scholarships to Broadcasting, Telecommunications, and Mass Media students with financial needs.
Other organizations that have been beneficiaries of Second Sundays include the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program, the San Antonio AIDS Foundation, and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. To date, UB.com and Absolute Poker have raised over $32,000 for their causes.