FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nanda Chitre (ENOUGH)
[email protected]
(202) 481-8245
Contact: Reid Rich
(310) 560-1383
Las Vegas, NV (June 25, 2008) — More than a dozen celebrities and athletes are returning and expected to join poker’s most notable players to raise public awareness and funds to support the victims of the humanitarian crisis in Sudan at the 2nd annual Ante Up For Africa tournament. The tournament will take place at the 2008 World Series of Poker presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light.
Created by Oscar nominee Don Cheadle and poker pro Annie Duke, the Ante Up for Africa tournament will begin at 2 p.m. July 2nd at the Rio® All-Suite Hotel & Casino, home of the World Series of Poker (WSOP).
Last year’s Ante Up For Africa event featured more Hollywood celebrities and poker professionals than any other charity tournament ever and raised more than $700,000.
“After the success of last year’s tournament, we are looking forward to another exciting year while raising awareness for an ongoing crisis,” said poker pro Annie Duke. “It is exciting to bring the world of poker and entertainment together and we are once again asking players who win prize money to donate half of their winnings to our charities.”
Among those confirmed to participate, subject to availability, are Hollywood stars Cheadle, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler, Ray Romano, Charles Barkley, Jason Kidd, Kevin Pollack, Cheryl Hines, George Lopez, and Joe Trohman (Fall Out Boy) with many more expressing their interest to play. Also playing, subject to availability, will be poker professionals Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Andy Bloch, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Laak, Erik Seidel, Phil Gordon, Rafe Furst, Barry Greenstein, and others.
The tournament will feature a fast-paced structure designed to complete the competition within five hours. Seating for the tournament is limited and anyone who wants to participate is encouraged to pre-register at www.worldseriesofpoker.com/pdfs/prereg2008/Ante-Up-for-Africa.pdf
“I was elated that we raised over $700,000 last year,” said Cheadle. “I am so grateful for everyone’s participation and generosity in helping us continue to bring the plight of the victims in Sudan to the forefront of people’s minds. I hope we can raise even more this year.”
Continuing to praise the effort, John Prendergast, co-director of one recipient organization, ENOUGH, says, "It was the fastest $700,000 I've ever seen raised for a cause like this. The groups that received the money were able to provide aid that directly saved many lives and that pressured the UN to deploy a protection force, eventually saving many more. Every dollar counts. This is the one game where losing is actually beneficial to humanity."
Cheadle, an accomplished poker player, and Duke, who has more than $4 million in tournament winnings, are committed to raising both public awareness about the tragedy in Darfur and the whole of Sudan as well as funds to aid victims. As the world’s richest sporting event, the WSOP is covered by more than 600 journalists from around the globe each year and attracts players from more than 85 countries.
Proceeds from this year’s tournament will go to two charities: ENOUGH (www.enoughproject.org), a project of the Center for American Progress, which works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to end genocide and crimes against humanity in Sudan, Chad, eastern Congo, northern Uganda, and Somalia, and Not On Our Watch (www.notonourwatchproject.org), founded by actors George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, and Brad Pitt, which endeavors to focus global attention and resources toward putting an end to mass atrocities around the world. Not on Our Watch has taken on the crisis in Sudan as its inaugural campaign. Drawing on the powerful voices of artists, activists, and cultural leaders, NOOW generates lifesaving humanitarian assistance and protection for the vulnerable, marginalized, and displaced.
More information about Harrah’s and the tournament is available at www.harrahs.com and www.worldseriesofpoker.com, respectively.
For press coverage and to schedule an interview, please contact Reid Rich at 310 560-1383 or via email at [email protected].
For ENOUGH, Please contact Nanda Chitre at (202) 481-8245
ABOUT THE WORLD SERIES OF POKER
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest, and most prestigious gaming event in the world. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest-running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2007, the event attracted more than 54,000 entrants from 87 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded just under $160 million in prize money as players competed for the game’s most coveted trophy, a WSOP bracelet. Harrah’s License Company, LLC., an affiliate of Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. has owned and operated the WSOP since 2004 and over the last four years, fostered an increase in player participation by nearly 300 percent. In addition, the WSOP has experienced groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media, and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.
About Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino is a Harrah's Entertainment resort. The Rio offers guests a unique all-suite hotel experience. Complete with 2,563 all-suite hotel rooms, the property overlooks the famous Las Vegas Strip, one block west on Flamingo Road. A sand beach surrounds the edge of the Rio's tropical lagoon, complete with waterfalls, four nautical-shaped swimming pools, and five Jacuzzi-style spas. The Rio boasts 16 dining outlets, three lounges, two performance theatres (Penn & Teller Theater and the Chippendales Theater), Spa/Health Club/Beauty Salon, 23 retail outlets, nine luxury Palazzo Suites, and three nightclubs.
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About the ENOUGH Project: ENOUGH is a project of the Center for
American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded
in 2007 with an initial focus on the crises in Sudan, Chad, eastern
Congo, northern Uganda, and Somalia, ENOUGH’s strategy papers and
briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy
recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting
durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing
perpetrators of atrocities. ENOUGH works with concerned citizens,
advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these
crises. To learn more about ENOUGH and what you can do to help, go to
www.enoughproject.org.