On Saturday, January 20, more than 250 people attended the 14th Annual All in for ALS Poker Tournament. The event raised over $185,000 for the fight against ALS and to help fulfill our mission of finding treatments and a cure while serving, advocating for, and empowering people affected by ALS to live their lives to the fullest.
All in for ALS began in 2004 in honor of Stu Nichols. Stu and his son Andrew had a mission to visit every ballpark in the U.S. throughout Andrew’s childhood. Amidst their journey, Stu was diagnosed with ALS. After his diagnosis, he was still committed to visiting the remaining ballparks, but he also wanted to find a way to fund research for a cure for ALS. Andrew had been playing online poker at the time and was interested in playing in the World Series of Poker tournament. They decided to start a poker event that would benefit people living with ALS.
To date, the tournament has raised almost $2 million for ALS research.
All in for ALS Highlights from ALS Association of Texas on Vimeo.
Event attendees enjoyed a Charity Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament, a casino and arcade available for play, and lunch and dinner sponsored by Demeris Bar-B-Q. The Charity Texas Hold’em tournament offered an exciting prize list valued at more than $100,000. Prizes included $18,500 in gold, a basketball autographed by NBA superstar Grant Hill, a year of 50% off at Demeris Bar-B-Q, four tickets and VIP field passes to see the world Champion Astros play, and more!
Presenting Sponsor Six Foot and the Nichols family helped recognize ALS Hero Paul Clark, and his wife Andrea, at the event.
Presenting Sponsor Six Foot and the Nichols family helped recognize ALS Hero Paul Clark, and his wife Andrea, at the event. Paul was diagnosed in July 2017 after several months of unsure diagnosis. He worked as a mechanical engineer for 30 years for the Trans Canada Pipeline. Paul and Andrea now reside in Cypress, Texas, and have two adult sons, Andy and John. Paul was also Boy Scout Leader while his boys were growing up and a member of his church choir.
“We were pleased to host this 14th annual event, which has helped us propel our mission across Texas,” said Jessica Welch, ALS Texas Regional Director and the event manager. “By helping fund multidisciplinary clinics, research, and other support services for people with ALS, funds raised through this event have brought us another step closer to creating a world without ALS.”
Congratulations to the poker tournament winners – Michael Nicol (1st place), Jake Eberly (2nd place), and Bobby Ware (3rd place).
The 2018 event could not have happened without our incredible sponsors. Special thanks to Six Foot, Shipley Do-Nuts, GN Miller Ventures, Absolute Marble & Granite, Frost Bank, and the Stu Nichols Foundation.
Interested in participating in the 2019 All in for ALS event? Check out www.AllinforALS.com for updates on next year’s event.
Are you interested in sponsorship opportunities? Contact Jessica@alstexas.org.
Click here to view photos from the event.
