Annie Duke has teamed up with Life Rolls On founder Jesse Billauer to host the First Annual “Night of Poker” on May 7 in Gardena, California. The event will benefit Billauer’s Life Rolls On Foundation, which works to provide the inspirational message of achievement for those with spinal cord injuries.
The $225 No Limit Hold’em charity tournament will award a 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event seat to the winner, while players at the final table will also take home prizes. All players will receive limited-edition tournament t-shirts and hats courtesy of Power106. Participants that register by April 15 can buy in for only $200.
The Foundation is also offering four separate sponsorship packages for the event. The Royal Flush Title Sponsor ($20,000) will receive the exclusive sponsor title. They’ll also get 20 player seats and logo placement on the final table, Life Rolls On’s website, media releases, and player gear.
The Four of a Kind Sponsor ($10,000) will receive title sponsorship of the grand prize as well as logo signage on tables, gear, and the website. There is also a Full House Sponsorship offering six player seats and logo placement, and a Pocket Pair Sponsorship offering two seats and logo placement.
Billauer founded the Life Rolls On Foundation in 1996 after suffering a tragic spinal cord injury during his quest to become a professional surfer. Billauer was left a quadriplegic, but still had goals he wanted to accomplish in life, thus the foundation name Life Rolls On. He travels the world as a motivational speaker and his story has been heard by millions of people over the years as a result of being featured on TV shows such as “Good Morning America,” “Dateline,” and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”
Today, Life Rolls On remains dedicated to improving the quality of life for young people affected by spinal cord injuries and utilizes action sports as a platform to inspire infinite possibilities despite paralysis. Life Rolls On merged with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation last year.
The list of Life Rolls On’s celebrity supporters includes Amy Smart, Ben Harper, Brody Jenner, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Cuba Gooding Jr., Dave Matthews, David Schwimmer, Diane Sawyer, Goldie Hawn, Good Charlotte, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Jenna Fischer, Kelly Slater, Kim Kardashian, Minnie Driver, Molly Sims, Paris Hilton, and Ziggy Marley.
Given the success of Duke’s charity tournaments in the past, high-profile poker players are expected to take part in the event. Duke founded Ante Up for Africa with actor Don Cheadle in 2007 and has helped generate more than $4 million toward the efforts in Darfur. Among the poker pros that participated in the 2010 Ante Up for Africa tournament in Las Vegas were Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Joe Hachem, Michael Mizrachi, Erik Seidel, Howard Lederer, and Phil Gordon, who won the event and donated all of his $129,000 in prize money to the charity.
Duke is also a board member of the Decision Education Foundation and has done a lot of work for charities benefiting children’s foundations. Last May, she hosted the Annie Duke Celebrity Poker Night at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, which benefited non-profit organization After School All-Stars. The event had a buy-in of $300 and raised more than $50,000.
