Jason Alexander and his friends anted up on Saturday, May 9th, at 1736 Family Crisis Center'ss Third Annual Celebrity Poker Tournament at the Hollywood Park Casino in Los Angeles to hlep save the lives of domestic violence victims, their children, and homeless/abandoned youth. Cheryl Hines, Camryn Manheim, Montel Williams, and Anthrax'ss Scott Ian were among the long list of celebrity players who attended the event to help raise awareness and much-needed funding to keep 1736'ss vital programs alive. These programs literally save the lives of thousands of victims who have suffered the devastation of domestic violence. When the economy is down, domestic violence goes up, said Tobi Quintiliani, Senior Director at the Center, It'ss times like these when we need funding the most to help victims in crisis.
Alongside Jason Alexander was Diana Donofrio-Trigatzi, Nevada'ss State Director for the Poker Player'ss Alliance, serving as Celebrity Tournament Director for the event. Donofrio-Trigatzi
was a key player in the tournament'ss success, bringing in many celebrity poker professionals such as Jamie Gold Greg Raymer, Debbie Burkhead, Barbara Enright, Chipp and Karina Jett,
Scott Lazar, Oliver Nejad, Nancy Todd Tyner, and Marsha Waggoner. Prizes were awarded to the top 10 finalists: Bo Safrang, CEO, DG Holdings Group, came in as the grand prize winner,
taking home a beautiful ECO-friendly poker table created by EGM Green, and a cash prize; Bruce Buffer, UFC Ringside Announcer, took second place taking home a cash prize; Kaey Thompson of
All In Magazine, one of the event'ss sponsors, took third place winining a WSOP Boot Camp Package; Jarred Gabin, 4th Place Winner, won a Poker Cruise; Jamie Simon, LA Talk Radio DJ, took
5th Place; Bill Legare, 6th Place; George Kozel, 7th Place; Jackie Johnson, KCAL Weather, took 8th Place; Elizabeth Wilson took 9th Place; and Eric Archuleta took 10th Place.
Silent and live auctions helped raise money for 1736 Family Crisis Center as well. Auction items included entertainment and sports memorabilia, gracioulsy donated by Fox, All In Magazine,
EGM Green, The LA Lakers, The LA Dodgers, The LA Kings, and Toyota Financial Services, and Gallery of Dreams. Other gracious sponsors included Webexposure.us, Studio Printing, and
Provision.
Filmmaker Brian Herskowitz was on hand to document the action for his upcoming documentary entitled 1736: Someplace To Turn, which hopes to bring attention to the important work of 1736
Family Crisis Center and raise awareness of domestic violence in our society. Leyna Nguyen, News Anchor KCAL/KCBS, was honored by State Assemblyman Ted Lieu for her charitable work with
domestic violence victims and children.
All in all, $85,000.00 was raised for the continued work towards helping domestic violence victims by providing education, community outreach programs, crisis hotlines, shelter,
counseling, case management, and many other services with the goal being an indpendent life free of violence for each and every victim of domestic violence. For more information, or to
make a donation, please call (310) 543-9900 ext. 210, or visit www.1736fcc.org.