Kenna James raises $170,000 for charity

Kenna James created "Operation Helping Hand" this year to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project during the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and managed to raise $170,000 for the charity during the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

"Operation Helping Hand" included a charity poker tournament and other events that started Aug. 1 and ran through the last week of the WSOP. Pros, amateurs, and celebrities alike played in the tournament which was won by David Benyamine. He took home the first "Operation Helping Hand" championship bracelet as well as a trip to the Caribbean Poker Classic donated by SunPoker.com.

Fundraising activities continued after the tournament with a VIP party hosted by Kenna James which included a silent auction. Some of the top auction items for the night were an Iraqi flag signed by members of Screaming Eagle Poker who are currently serving in Iraq and a one-of-a-kind Ostrich leather railed poker table.

Gavin Smith bought the flag for $5,000, and the pool table was purchased by Dan Pugliese for $13,000, and he immediately pledged it up for auction again on a future airing of the Ultimate Poker Challenge to raise more money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Donations were also accepted for the organization during other "Operation Helping Hand" activities throughout the week.

The Wounded Warrior Project is an organization that provides prosthetics and other aid for veterans. James said he got involved with the project after being inspired by the story of an 8-year-old boy who donated an entire year of his allowance to aid Army veteran Heath Calhoun, who had lost both legs above his knees in a rocket attack in Iraq.

courtesy of Sarah Polson

News Added: 15 August, 2006

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