The month of September has brought a great deal of havoc to the States of America. Hurricanes Harvey (Texas/Louisiana), Irma (Florida) and Maria (Puerto Rico) have caused billions in damages along the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean and left thousands, especially in Puerto Rico, without adequate housing or electricity. Next week a major U. S. casino will pair with one of the top online gaming and poker organizations to try to alleviate some of the effect on the state of Florida.
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL, along with PokerStars and The Stars Group, will host a charitable poker tournament to benefit Feeding South Florida and its efforts to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. “We’re proud to partner with Feeding South Florida and PokerStars to be part of this hurricane relief initiative,” says Susan Renneisen, the vice president of community affairs and special events at the Seminole Hard Rock. “It’s upsetting to see the damage that so many families have endured during this storm season. We encourage everyone in the community to help however they can. Every bit helps, and we are glad to be able to do our part.”
“The devastation created by Hurricane Irma across Southern Florida has impacted so many lives and PokerStars are proud to support the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood in their fundraising tournament in aid of Feeding South Florida,” says Sue Hammett, the Head of Corporate Giving at The Stars Group. “We all witnessed the impact and destruction which swept across the Caribbean and Southern Florida and we hope our support of this event will help with the recovery process for those who have been affected. We encourage as many people as possible to attend this event.”
The evening’s festivities will kick off with an exclusive player party and silent auction at 6PM prior to the tournament’s start time. Guests will enjoy live music, cocktails, hors d’ oeuvres and a chance to win more than $50,000 in cash payouts and prizes including a $20,000 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) Main Event Package, as well as more than $15,000 in tournament entries to various Seminole Hard Rock Poker events. Other tournament prizes and auction items include vacation and hotel packages, signed memorabilia, and cash totaling more than $10,000.
At 7PM, the tournament will begin with a $300 buy-in. If they are eliminated, players can purchase another entry and continue to re-enter for the first two hours of the tournament. PokerStars has committed to match whatever is raised through tournament buy-ins dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000. Committed to playing in the event are a few of PokerStars’ top professional players, Jason Mercier, Jeff Gross and Jennifer Shahade, and it is plausible that more pros will step up for the very special event.
Funds raised from the tournament will go directly to Feeding South Florida’s distribution efforts, ensuring water, meals and other non-food supplies are getting to those most in need of assistance. Feeding South Florida serves 25% of the state’s food insecure population, from Key West, north to Jupiter. Even today, there are families that are struggling to make ends meet in the state of Florida, including people who have lost everything, including their homes, cars, and food. Hurricane Irma has been estimated to have inflicted around $100 billion in damages, while Harvey is estimated to have brought $190 billion in damages to Texas. It is far too soon to be able to put an estimate on Puerto Rico, which has been devastated (100% of the island nation was out of power at one point) by Hurricane Maria.
The tournament will raise some much-needed funds to help the people of South Florida, but it also does it in a fun manner. For more information, visit the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood’s designated website for more information.
