A poker tournament in Virginia is aiming to turn chips into homes next week, with organizers setting a $100,000 fundraising target for Loudoun Habitat for Humanity.
The sixth annual Poker for Humanity fundraiser will take place on Wednesday, September 9 at River Creek Club in Leesburg, bringing poker players, local businesses and supporters together to raise money for affordable housing in the community.
Ashburn-based Vesta Settlements is behind the event, which has grown into an annual fixture after first bringing players to the tables several years ago.
This time, the target is substantial.
Organizers hope to raise $100,000 from the night, with the money supporting Loudoun Habitat for Humanity and its work helping local families access safe and affordable homes.
$200 Poker Tournament at Heart of Fundraiser
Poker will naturally be the main attraction.
Players can enter a No Limit Texas Hold’em tournament for $200, with optional rebuys and add-ons available during the event.
There is something to play for beyond bragging rights, too. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top five finishers.
The tournament runs as part of a five-hour fundraising event from 5pm until 10pm at River Creek Club, located just outside Leesburg in Northern Virginia.
Those who want to support the cause without taking a seat at the poker tables have another option.
A $125 Social + Casino ticket provides access to an evening featuring blackjack, roulette and craps alongside the main poker tournament.
Sponsorship packages are also being offered to businesses, ranging from individual poker table and playing-card sponsorships to larger event packages.
Poker and Housing Make an Unusual Partnership
There is an interesting connection behind Poker for Humanity.
Vesta Settlements operates in the real estate industry, providing title and settlement services to home buyers and sellers.
Loudoun Habitat for Humanity, meanwhile, works to make homeownership more accessible for people who might otherwise struggle to afford it.
Vesta founder and president Keith Barrett sits on the board of directors of Loudoun Habitat for Humanity, giving the annual fundraiser a relationship with the charity that extends well beyond a single poker night.
Barrett has served on the Habitat board for several years, while Vesta lists the organization among the charitable causes it supports.
That makes the theme particularly fitting.
A company involved in helping people complete home purchases is using poker to raise money for an organization helping more families reach the point where owning a home becomes possible.
Poker Keeps Finding Ways to Raise Money
Poker and charity may seem like unusual partners, but the combination has a long history.
As Poker Type recently explored in our look at poker being used to raise money for good causes, tournaments provide charities with something a conventional donation drive cannot always offer: competition.
Players get a night at the tables and something to play for. Organizers can raise money through buy-ins, rebuys, add-ons, sponsorships and other activities surrounding the tournament.
The scale can vary enormously.
At one extreme, the World Series of Poker’s Big One for One Drop used a $1 million buy-in to generate millions of dollars for projects improving access to safe water.
At the other are community events such as the upcoming Humane Society fundraiser in Georgia, where a few hours of Texas Hold’em will help support animals and a local pet food pantry.
Poker for Humanity sits somewhere in between.
It is a local fundraiser rather than a major professional poker tournament, but a $100,000 target would make the money raised anything but insignificant.
Sixth Poker for Humanity Takes Place September 9
This year’s event will be the sixth time Vesta Settlements has organized its annual poker fundraiser.
That longevity is perhaps as important as the size of the target.
Charity poker events can sometimes be one-night experiments. Poker for Humanity has instead developed into a recurring fundraiser with local businesses, sponsors and players returning to support the cause.
On September 9, the cards will be back in the air in Leesburg.
There will be winners at the poker tables and cash prizes waiting for the best five players.
If the event reaches its $100,000 goal, however, the biggest pot of the night will be heading somewhere else entirely.
