Earlier this month, Poker News Daily reported on the efforts of Michael Karnjanaprakorn, an entrepreneur from New York who is looking to raise his buy-in for the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event from contributors, with any winnings given to charitable causes. Through his World Series of Good, Karnjanaprakorn has enlisted many of the top players in the game to join him in contributing to their pet charities.
Last week, KickStarter – the site Karnjanaprakorn is using in his charitable drive – announced that 2009 WSOP Main Event final table player Phil Ivey has joined the fray. Ivey, who captured two bracelets on his way to the Main Event final table last year, will be coaching Karnjanaprakorn in preparation for his Main Event drive along with UB.com pro Annie Duke, Full Tilt Poker’s Andy Bloch, and Rafe Furst. Ivey will also be promoting his personal charitable cause, the Budding Ivey Foundation, through the efforts of the World Series of Good.
Ivey created the Budding Ivey Foundation two years ago to continue the philanthropic goals that his grandfather, the late Leonard “Bud” Simmons, pursued throughout his life. Along with his mother, Ivey continues to promote many of the charitable ideals that his grandfather had advocated for. The mission statement for the Budding Ivey Foundation is “Providing educational opportunities to empower at-risk children.”
The organization has given greatly to the community in an attempt to reach the goals inspired by Ivey’s grandfather. The Budding Ivey Foundation has been instrumental in organizing major book drives, donating over 2,500 books to children in New Jersey and Las Vegas. The foundation has also stepped up to help the homeless, contributing 1,200 meals to the roughly 4000/5000 feed program in Las Vegas.
2009 beneficiaries of the Budding Ivey Foundation include the Roselle, New Jersey Pop Warner leagues, the Roselle Back to School Book Jam, Junior Achievement of New Jersey, Spread the Word Nevada, the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, and the Be Pure/No More Tears Feeding Program.
In 2008, the Budding Ivey Foundation held a charitable poker tournament and barbecue that raised $260,000. These funds were dispersed to charities such as a re-development project in New Jersey, Empowered to Excel, Living Waters, Northern Educational Services, and the 4,000/5,000 Feeding Program.
Karnjanaprakorn’s World Series of Good efforts are proceeding well. With 35 days to go to the start of the Main Event, Karnjanaprakorn has raised approximately 25% of the $10,000 buy-in, with 32 backers contributing amounts ranging from $5 to $250 through KickStarter.
The charitable causes that Karnjanaprakorn will donate any WSOP winnings to include a charter school beset by embezzlement, the Langston Hughes Academy in Louisiana, Bad Beat on Cancer, Ante Up for Africa, and CharityWater.org, a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Players such as Bloch, Furst, and Daniel Horowitz have also pledged to donate to various causes.