How a rallycross and poker tie up can bring wonders
Sports events aren’t just about besting your opponents; they’re also avenues for those who are strong enough to help the needy. In fact, that’s what rallycross is — a sport that’s not just about sprinting and drifting but also a discipline that allows drivers to reach out and fulfill their social responsibilities to the community. Just last year, the Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team hosted a charity event for the benefit of the American Cancer Society. Conversely, the Sports Car Club of America hosts an annual Reindeer RallyCross Charity Event to provide regular aid to the charities of their choosing. To date, both groups have raised a significant amount of money. But while raising around $10,000 per event is impressive, there’s a way for RallyCross groups can help charities better, and that is by tying up with poker organizers.
Poker’s growth as a worldwide sport in the last ten years has been nothing short of phenomenal. With the franchise’s entry into high-profile, globally-televised tournaments, worldwide awareness and appreciation for the game is at an all-time high and it still keeps converting legions of the uninitiated into fans and devotees daily.
In the middle of all the promotional hype and flair, one aspect of the sport that easily gets overlooked is the collective philanthropy not only of its players, but of the entire franchise itself. Over the years, the community has contributed significant amounts to advance the cause of a variety of charities and foundations that focus on health, children’s rights, and environmental advocacies, to name a few.
The World Series of Poker (WSOP), for example, is the acknowledged premier tournament event in the professional poker circuit. In 2012, the WSOP partnered with One Drop Foundation, a non-governmental organization based in Canada that focuses on water and environmental management projects that promote self-reliance, sustainability, and worldwide access to clean water. Their “All In For One Drop” poker tournament at the 2012 WSOP asked its 48 participants to each donate $ 111,111 from their tournament buy-in to the foundation. With the entry of other generous donations outside of the tournament playing field, the event was eventually able to raise more than $7 million for One Drop – the largest single amount ever given to the foundation in its entire history.
In 2008, Poker Hall of Famer and partypoker ambassador Mike Sexton started {Poker Gives} with three other like-minded poker personalities. The resulting organization is a charity that enabled poker players and the poker industry itself to raise funds through poker events and private donations in support of worthwhile charities around the world. Through the support given by Poker Gives, the initiatives of organizations such as the Diabetes Research and Action Education Foundation, {Children Inc.}, Make A Wish Foundation, and Three Square (to name just a few), have continued to make tremendous differences in the lives of their respective beneficiaries.
Poker has certainly come a long way from its less than stellar reputation as a distraction for hooligans and cutthroats. With its current stature as a popular sport that continues to help improve the quality of life for the underprivileged, charity event organizers regularly benefit much from it. Rallycross teams should take cue from other organizations and integrate poker games in their events if they want to help communities better.
