Freelance members of the poker media are among those hugely affected by the current global health crisis. Over the past few months, several major poker events around the world have been cancelled, including more recently the 2020 World Series of Poker (WSOP), as countries continue to put in place rigorous measures to contain the virus.
The U.S. casino industry has been in complete lockdown mode and this has impacted thousands of casino employees as well as freelancers catering to the gambling industry. With no live poker events and tours to follow and report on, freelance poker reporters have lost their jobs and are now trying to get by with very limited resources and without any source of income. Their sufferings should not go unnoticed, and this is why three poker brands have initiated a fundraising drive to help these freelance workers stay afloat in the middle of the crisis.
Keep The Lights On Donations Drive
Through the “Keep The Lights On” initiative, poker media workers will not be left in the dark in these trying times. The charity drive, set up by RunGood Gear, Poker Central, and Global Poker, will raise funds to help cover the utility bills of the affected workers during the pandemic.
As part of the fundraising initiative, the three poker brands have organized a series of tournaments which will run for three weeks. Each of them have put forth a “Champion” to compete in a total of 10 tournaments per week, and funds will be raised through donation pledges, based on how many times the participant cashes.
For example, if you are pledging $5 to team RunGood Gear, and its champion Jamie Kerstetter eventually cashes 10 times throughout the three-week competition, $50 will be added to the fund. Jeff Platt will play for Poker Central, while Brian “The Golden Blazer” Frenzal will represent Global Poker.
Kerstetter, Platt, and Frenzal will play on livestreamed tournaments on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The games kicked off on Monday, April 27, and will run through to Wednesday, May 20. PokerGO’s Facebook page will bring the latest updates on the tournaments.
Win All-Stars PRO-AM Seat
To maintain the competitive element and motivate the “Champions” to give their best, whoever ends up with the biggest bankroll upon the conclusion of the three-week challenge will win for himself a seat into the All-Stars PRO-AM Live Event scheduled to take place in December at PokerGO Studios. An incentive also awaits those making donation pledges of $5 or more to the eventual winner, as they too will earn a ticket to a PRO-AM private qualifier.
One-time donations are also greatly appreciated, and you can do this by visiting Shop.PokerGO.com and get yourself a Keep The Lights On hoodie for only $50. All of the proceeds will go directly towards the fund.
Do take note that donation pledges will only be valid by May 3, meaning any pledges made after that date will no longer be eligible for the free PRO-AM seat.
Others in the poker industry, including Rob Kirschen from the WSOP, as well as Matthew Clark from the World Poker Tour are also helping out in the charity initiative.
Tana Karn, President of the Run Good Poker Series, said the fundraising drive is their way of giving back to the affected members of the poker industry, who, at some point, also rallied with them when their business was going through some tough challenges.
Karn said these freelance members of the media have been there all along to make sure the poker community is well-informed, especially during live tournaments. Keep The Lights On is a way of showing them that they are not ignored and forgotten as the live poker scene is put to a halt.
Poker Central’s J.R. McCabe said poker media workers have made a significant contribution to the poker world by constantly working hard to bring the latest info stories, and news on poker-related events and happenings around the world. They deserve everyone’s support during these difficult times.
To learn more about the drive, visit the Keep The Lights On page on PledgeIT. RunGood Gear also has a dedicated information page about the initiative.