Poker has a long and giving tradition when natural disasters large or small strike. From tsunamis to hurricanes to earthquakes, online and live entities and players have been quick to react in times of need. Tonight, in the wake of the tornado outbreak that struck the U.S.' central Mississippi Valley earlier this month, Americas Cardroom (ACR) will host a special fundraiser benefiting some of the victims of the outbreak.
The special fundraising tourney begins at 6 pm ET and registration will remain open for several hours. First place is guaranteed to pay out $5,000, plus a $2,650 ticket into ACR's upcoming $10M "Venom" main event. In addition several ACR team pros have committed to playing in the event, and each of them will have a $200 "Venom Fever" ticket bounty on their head.
The event will likely generate thousands of dollars in relief for the Dresden (TN) Rotary Club Tornado Relief fund. Dresden, in far western Tennessee, was one of the communities most devastated by one of the largest tornadoes in the outbreak. Situated about 40 miles south of Mayfield, Kentucky, another community devastated by the December 10-11 outbreak, Dresden saw its downtown largely destroyed, along with about 140 homes.
The mid-December outbreak killed roughly 90 people, injured hundreds of others, and has left many thousands of people homeless this holiday season. It's the largest such tornado outbreak ever occurring this late in the year, including at least two smaller tornadoes that struck Minnesota, a northern state that had never before experienced a December tornado.
ACR Twitch streamer ZoesDad79 brings fundraiser concept to the fore
ACR Twitch streamer "ZoesDad79," who lives in the region, brought forth the idea of a charity fundraiser for ACR to consider. ACR has strong ties to Tennessee, including their leading spokesplayer, Chris Moneymaker, a long-time resident of the state.
According to ZoesDad79, the situation in Dresden required special help. "I just thought with the platform I have and the awesome community ACR has, I had to do something," he told ACR. "I messaged Chris Moneymaker and ACR host Justin Kelly (@FatTrain) to see if we could organize a charity stream to raise money for the Dresden Rotary Club. Many people have lost their homes and are displaced. Others are still without power a week later."
That quickly came to fruition with tonight's event. ACR Team pros Moneymaker and Drew Gonzalez (@BetOnDrew), along with ZoesDad79, will host the event online on ACR's Twitch.tv channel.
Moneymaker was quick to add his support to the fundraiser. "Being so close and knowing people that have been impacted by these storms let you know how lucky we are," Moneymaker told ACR. "These storms completely flattened areas and caused a lot of heartache right before the Christmas season. I am proud to be part of a charity stream to raise money for those that are hurting so bad right now. Working with ACR is the absolute best. I have been with the company almost nine months and we have run multiple promotions to help various causes. Makes me feel good working with a company that cares and gives back to the community."
Featured image source: Americas Cardroom
