Poker Player Alliance Charity Events to run at Both National Conventions

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), now over one million members strong, is taking advantage of the concentration of delegates and members of Congress at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions during the next few days, to continue to lobby for the legalization of online poker, by holding charity poker tournaments to benefit the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

The events will be held to create goodwill regarding poker, and especially online poker, which has been under attack by the United States Congress.

AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

Following Saturday's news that U.S. Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama selected Joe Biden (D-DE) as his Vice Presidential candidate, the PPA released an updated list of famous actors and poker players due to attend its "Poker at the Ballpark" fundraising tournament today, August 26th, running concurrent with the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Denver.

Actors Seth Meyers, Paul Rudd, and Sarah Silverman are due to appear at the PPA Coors Field fundraiser, along with actor Ben Affleck.

Myers appears on the "Weekend Update" portion of "Saturday Night Live", of which he is also head writer, and can be seen in the remake of "Journey to the Center of the Earth", which was recently released into theaters worldwide. Rudd has appeared in a variety of racy comedies including "The 40 Year-Old Virgin", "Knocked Up" and "Anchorman", plus this summer's "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". Silverman is well-known for her hilarious viral video co-starring Matt Damon, as well as her poker skills, and should be a force to be reckoned with in the charity event.

PPA Executive Director John Pappas commented:

"The PPA is honored to have these talented actors join us in raising much needed funds for those who have fought to protect our country. We look forward to a great event and encourage everyone to donate to this worthy cause and thank our nation's veterans for their service."

Many notable poker players will also attend the event, including Andy Bloch, Barry Greenstein, and Erik Seidel, who together have 107 lifetime cashes at the World Series of Poker.

The charity tournament will be held at Coors Field, home of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. The charity event starts today August 26th at 10:00pm.

UPDATE - ONLY 175 DOORPRIZES IN DENVER

Originally a seat in the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event, valued at $10,000, was to be awarded as the grand prize to the winner of the charity tournament.

Yesterday, the Denver Post reported that: "Colorado's gambling law has put a damper on a star-studded charity poker tournament planned for next week during the Democratic National Convention."

Under Colorado state law, only the state's mountain casinos can award poker tournament prizes. A "poker tournament is considered illegal if it has an entry fee, awards prizes, involves luck and the participants don't share a common interest beyond gambling."

So to comply with Colorado law, the charity tournament organizers announced that no prizes will be awarded based on playing poker. Instead, they will give away more than 175 door prizes via random drawings.

To read more about the change in prizes, click here: State law squashes $10,000 poker prize - The Denver Post.

SPONSORSHIPS FOR DNC EVENT

Parties interested in sponsoring the Denver area charity event are encouraged to e-mail nicholek@pva.org for sponsorship information for the PPA's event at Coors Field. A VIP reception begins at 9:30pm at the Club Level of the stadium and RSVPs are mandatory.

All donations are fully tax deductible and benefit the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), a non-profit organization (see About the PVA below).

AT THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION

The Republican National Convention (RNC) will take place at the Xcel Energy Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota from September 1-4. Republican Presidential candidate John McCain has yet to name his Vice Presidential candidate.

PPA Chairman Alfonse D'Amato, former three-time Republican Senator for New York, has personally endorsed McCain for President.

The PPA has teamed with the American Gaming Association (AGA) to host a charity poker tournament at the RNC, which will again benefit the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

The PPA plans to reach out to members of Congress who have historically not been friendly to legalized internet gambling in the United States. The Republican Party led the charge to pass the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006 and, at a recent hearing, forced the law's ambiguity to continue.

The charity poker tournament will be held on Wednesday, September 3rd at 116 First Avenue North in Minneapolis. A VIP reception will be held from 10:00pm until 10:30pm, when the poker tournament begins.

SPONSORSHIPS FOR RNC EVENT

Sponsorship packages are available and are the only way to gain entry into the PPA and AGA charity event.

Parties interested in sponsoring the PPA and AGA charity tournament in Minneapolis should contact NicholeK@pva.org. RSVPs are necessary for the event.

All proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Paralyzed Veterans of America. All donations are fully tax deductible.

ABOUT THE PARALYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA

The Paralyzed Veterans of America is a non-profit organization which works with veterans experiencing spinal cord injury and diseases (SCI/D). According to its website, the organization:

"works to maximize the quality of life for its members and all people with SCI/D as a leading advocate for health care, SCI/D research and education, veterans' benefits and rights, accessibility and the removal of architectural barriers, sports programs, and disability rights."

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