Having been a leader in the fight to cure Multiple Sclerosis since he was diagnosed with the disease in 1999, television celebrity Montel Williams host a poker tournament in June in order to raise money for the Montel Williams MS Foundation.
The Foundation’s goal is three-pronged: to provide financial assistance to organizations working towards a cure, to get the federal government to increase allocations for research, and to raise public awareness about MS.
The tournament, which was actually the first event of “The Grand” poker series at the Golden Nugget (no, it is not a coincidence that it has the same name as the recent film) required a $1,000 buy-in, which went to the charity. With sixty players participating and the Golden Nugget chipping in an additional $25,000, a total of $85,000 was raised.
A Londoner, Matthew May, won the tournament, taking home $8,400 and a gold bracelet.