Anteing Up for Africa
I’ve been perusing the itinerary for Team All Africa Poker for the first few days in Vegas, and we certainly hit the ground running. At 2pm on 2nd July we get to interview the host of celebrities at the Ante Up For Africa charity poker tournament. A US$5,000 buy-in event, this was the brain child of Don Cheadle, Annie Duke and Norman Epstein in 2006, who say they are dedicated to raising money and awareness for Africans in need. Perhaps we need to enlighten them to the Zimbabwean situation?
They certainly do a great deal of good and having raised over US$700,000 in the 2007, the hope is to exceed that this year at the WSOP® in the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino®, with the invited celebrities including last years attendees Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Brad Garrett, Jason Alexander, Adam Sandler, Willie Garson, Mekhi Phifer, Shannon Elizabeth and Toby Maguire, among others!
Annie Duke says, “The situation in Darfur, although improved in some ways since our tournament last year, continues to be perilous.” It is reported that government forces in Sudan embarked upon a campaign of ethnic cleansing that has to date resulted in 400,000 dead and almost 4 million people displaced, living in squalor in refugee camps on the Chad/Sudan border. This veritable queen of poker continues, “Our hope is that through efforts like Ante Up For Africa, we can continue to keep the issue in the spotlight while providing real funds to support the efforts of peacekeepers and aid workers on the ground.”
I have no doubt that Neil Andrews will be his usual enlightened and tough interviewer self, when he gets to speak to these well known poker players.
