The Ed Asner Celebrity Poker Tournament Goes Virtual with Faded Spade
ORLANDO, August 21, 2020 – Legendary Emmy®-winning actor Ed Asner presents the 8th Annual Ed Asner & Friends Celebrity Poker Tournament in collaboration with Faded Spade to be held Saturday, August 29, 2020, 5:00 PM. More than 250 guests are expected to sign in to play in a very unique presentation of ‘Live Virtual Poker’ featuring over 50 celebrities who are all-in.
Joining Ed Asner to lend a hand for the cause, will be over 50 celebrities including Tom Hanks, Kim Cattrall, Ben Affleck, Anna Paquin, Don Cheadle, Rosanna Arquette, Jack Black, Howie Mandel, Darius Rucker, Rosie O’Donnell, Rob Schneider and many more!
They join together on behalf of The Ed Asner Family Center dedicated to helping ‘differently-abled’ individuals with autism, developmental delays and other special needs. This exciting event, complete with celebrity moments, expert poker hosts and lots of other surprises, will be streamed via social media with an exciting and star-studded simulcast. For more information, please visit: pokerwithed.com @pokerwithed #pokerwithed.
While the current COVID-19 pandemic dictates social distancing and a break from the traditional Ed Asner Poker Tournament, this re-imagined virtual format allows many more celebrities and guests to participate from across the globe and from the safety of their own homes.
Asner and his team collaborated with Faded Spade — a modern poker card brand that recently launched white label virtual poker tournament services supporting business and charity fundraising efforts — to create a special, never seen before platform to host the poker tournament.
Asner, who has a son and grandsons on the autism spectrum, said, “This is my favorite event of the year. Not just because the dollars go to helping keep the programs of the center running. But, because of the inclusive, ‘leave your ego at the door’ fun of it. It’s unlike any other event that I can think of.”
Matt Asner, President & CEO of The Ed Asner Family Center, adds, “We are proud to be bringing something fun and special into homes across the globe. With the tournament going virtual this year we are taking something that has been a local Los Angeles staple for the past 7 years and making it a global event. To spread the word of our programs at TEAFC, most of which are offered free to the public, makes this extra special.”
Show Director Dwight Kennedy said, “You’ll feel like you’re right there with all of the poker action, celebrities and fun!”
Tom Wheaton, Founder & CEO of Faded Spade, added, “The genuine passion that the Ed Asner Family Center team shows toward their mission and the Ed Asner & Friends Celebrity Poker Tournament is inspiring. We are thrilled to be their virtual charity poker tournament provider of choice as we continue to expand this new area of our business. Fans and players are in for a tremendous experience!”
In addition to the Celebrity Poker Tournament, guests will enjoy a virtual Red Carpet, a premier Silent Auction and a chance to shop at “Ed’s Poker Stuff!,” the official tournament online store featuring hats, shirts, jerseys and more.
Poker prizes will be awarded for the top three winners, as well as the players at the last table. Non-poker players can also join in to watch the poker tournament and participate in the Silent Auction. All celebrities involved will be signing a special tournament jersey that will be auctioned off. Celebrities playing in the tournament will also be signing special bounty tee-shirts that will be signed and sent out to players that knock each celebrity out of the tournament.
Now in its 8th year, the poker tournament is expecting to raise over $100,000. The Ed Asner Family Center is a nonprofit, co-founded by Navah Paskowitz-Asner and Matthew Asner, whose mission is to help those with special needs and their families seeking wholeness in all facets of life. The Ed Asner Family Center not only caters to the needs of the special individual, but aims to embrace the complete family, helping them meet the challenges they face with grace and support. The Center offers arts and career advancement programs and virtual programs after school and on the weekends as well as counseling, telehealth and mindfulness classes.
A longtime advocate for the developmentally disabled and those on the autism spectrum, Asner personally understands the challenges that special needs families face, and the healing power of a creative, loving environment. The Los Angeles based The Ed Asner Family Center is the first of many branches nationwide. In the past, the Ed Asner Poker Tournament has raised much needed funds for charitable organizations such as Autism Speaks and The Autism Society of America.
FOR INFORMATION, SPONSORSHIP AND DONATIONS: click here or go to www.pokerwithed.com, or contact Shelby Landucci at shelby@edasnerfamilycenter.org.
Faded Spade Virtual Poker has become a popular choice for charitable foundations to host their virtual poker fundraising events, or bring their previously scheduled live poker tournaments online in a custom white label branded fashion.
Many organizations like Morning Brew, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Jason Taylor Foundation, Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, Breast Cancer Alliance, CBS Fantasy Sports, Miracle Flights and more have held white label branded virtual poker tournaments during the last few months. Email us to learn more about how Faded Spade can host your virtual poker tournament for charity or business purposes.
Media Contact: media@fadedspade.com
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ABOUT FADED SPADE
Faded Spade® is the poker and playing card brand for today’s poker players, poker rooms and the modern poker era. Founded in 2017 by Tom Wheaton, Faded Spade provides the highest quality playing cards to leading poker rooms, operators, and consumers around the world. In 2020, Faded Spade extended its product portfolio to include Faded Spade Virtual Poker - a virtual white label social poker offering that specializes in consumer, business and charity poker tournaments for the purposes of brand promotion, employee connectivity and philanthropic fundraising.
Faded Spade 100% plastic playing cards feature a fresh face card design, custom poker index and a balance of thickness, flexibility and strength not found in any other poker playing card on the market today. As the preferred playing cards of the World Poker Tour, Faded Spade is a brand built by poker players, for poker players, with product feedback from some of the best poker players and poker room operators across the globe. To learn more about Faded Spade, visit FadedSpade.com.
ABOUT THE ED ASNER FAMILY CENTER:
The Ed Asner Family Center is a one stop-shop for those with special needs and their families seeking wholeness in all facets of life. The Center acts as an oasis of balance and thought, of interaction and education providing children and adults of all levels of ability a chance at dignity, confidence, and self-respect. The Ed Asner Family Center not only caters to the needs of the special child, but aims to embrace the complete family, helping them meet the challenges they face with grace and support.
Website: edasnerfamilycenter.org/poker
Facebook: facebook.com/edasnerfamilycenter/
Twitter: twitter.com/edasnercenter
Instagram: instagram.com/edasnerfamilycenter/