An Ace in the Hole

Poker. It?s hot ? real hot. And everywhere you look, be it on TV, in casinos, movies and in top-selling video amusements, it?s being played. Now, the Texas Hold ?em poker game is about to make its Santa Clarita Valley debut.

Thanks to accountant R.J. Kelly, the First Annual SCV Texas Hold ?em Mania poker tournament will be held Friday, March 18 at the SCV Activities Center. In addition to poker, the event will offer an abundance of food ? all generously donated from 30 local eateries ? and a live and silent auction. Auction items include a flight to Catalina, weekends at Big Bear, hotel, casino and food certificates, and a deluxe Holland America cruise.

?This is going to be a full party and it?s going to have great food and great fun,? said Kelly, who first suggested the event as a means of serving many in need within the community.

Indeed, the no-limit poker fundraiser will reshuffle the normal non-profit event disbursement deck ? for five local charities, not just one, will receive proceeds. Those recipients will be: The SCV School & Business Alliance; Children?s Network International, the SCV Senior Center; the Single Mother?s Outreach and Carousel Ranch.

The 300 players ? seated 10 per table and each buying in at $150 ? will choose which charity they want their winnings to go to. The grand prizewinner will receive a $1,000 gift certificate for shopping locally.
?Leave it to R.J. Kelly to come up with this new and innovative fundraiser that serves several nonprofits at the same time,? said Brad Berens, executive director of the Santa Clarita Valley Committee on Aging. ?So many of our nonprofits work in such close collaboration to improve the quality of life in our community. It will be very exciting to be shoulder to shoulder with them, or rather putting on our poker faces across the table from them.?

Inventing the new multi-charity event poker soiree wasa no-brainer, Kelly said.
?There were so many things going on in town that were the same, 50 or 60 golf tournaments and the regular casino nights,? Kelly said. ?Texas Hold ?em is such a hot item. ? We thought this would be a great way to capitalize on it.?

Kelly said the poker tourney is also a welcome answer to local businesses in their efforts to remain good community charity partners.

?I have been hearing over the last year or so that people are really concerned that everybody?s knocking on the door all the time, local businesses always having to give, and they say no once in a while,? he said. ?This is an opportunity to knock on the door once for five charities and it?s something the businesses are really liking. They only have you give it once instead of five times.?

Many volunteers and staffers from each non-profit are helping put on the fund-raiser, Kelly added.

Kim Kurowski, who is assisting with securing food donations, said the support from local restaurants is outstanding.

?A lot of different groups are getting involved. I think it?s because of the five charities ? people want to be a part of this event. The response is really good.?
Ann Kerman, executive director of the SCV School & Business Alliance, said her non-profit is grateful to be part of this first collaborative effort.

The Alliance, which helps prepare young people for future careers by exposing them to work environments they may wish to study for in college, recently held its own inaugural fund-raiser, Monopoly Mania, which brought in about $20,000, Kerman said.
?Coming off our successful Monopoly Mania event, it is clear the community is embracing events that are new and fun,? Kerman said. ?The Alliance looks forward to benefiting from the current Texas Hold 'em craze to expand our programs that provide work-based opportunities for students.?
Proceeds that the Senior Center receives shall help fund center program amenities, Brad Berens said. He anticipates the competition will be quite spirited, especially with some of the more experienced senior citizen poker players on board.
?We have our champions which I expect toprevail over those youngsters,? Berens said.

For further information on the First Annual SCV Texas Hold ?em Mania poker tournament call 424-9661. The Santa Clarita Activity Center is located at 20880 Center Point Parkway in Santa Clarita. Registration 5:30 to 6:15 p.m.; poker starts at 6:30 p.m. with a ?shotgun start.? The event runs until 10 p.m. Tickets for player spots are a $150 each/$25 to be a spectator.

By Diana Sevanian

News Added: 12 April, 2005

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