With the rise of professional sports in Las Vegas, there continues to be increased awareness of several nonprofit organizations that players and their teams support. We got invited to the third annual Celebrity Poker Tournament benefiting the Baller Dream Foundation. This event, hosted by Greg Maddux, brings sports celebrities and poker enthusiasts alike together for an amazing cause to support those affected by cancer. What better place to gather for such an amazing event than at Circa Las Vegas?
To kick off the weekend, Paige Maddux, Chief Development Officer for Baller Dream Foundation, spoke so passionately about the amazing work that the Foundation does for children and their families, including planning trips and surprises for them while receiving treatment. Leading into the Live Auction, the chance at winning and taking home a piece of history was very good. While we did not win the Las Vegas F1 Grandstand package that we attempted to bid on, we did manage to catch a baseball from Greg Maddux and even got him to sign it! Wrapping up the evening with a star-studded panel of Celebrity Family Feud, the game became even more elevated when CEO/Owner Derek Stevens joined one of the teams to play up on stage.
We arrived at the Legacy Club, eager to just have the opportunity to be in the same room as some of the best in baseball and football. From 2-time MLB World Series Champ, Johnny Gomes, signing baseballs, to Las Vegas Raiders Daniel Carlson, AJ Cole, and Alex Bachman.
It was hard to contain our excitement as we had to settle in for the start of the tournament. But not before we got a photo of 2-time Super Bowl champs Jim McMahon and Dwight Hicks. In making our way through the crowd in between rounds, we also managed to spot former MLB Champions Steve Avery, Fred McGriff, and Justin Grimm.
We were wondering how all of these guys were able to be here. Maybe we should have asked MLB Super Agent Scott Boras, whom we also caught a glimpse of during the evening. Scott Boras and Derek Stevens were seen posing for photos as well.
There is no better place to celebrate turning 21 than Las Vegas, and after fourteen gruesome rounds of poker, Max Meursing got to ring in his new year by taking home the $50,000 prize after winning first place. By the conclusion of the weekend, over $500,000 had been raised for Baller Dream Foundation.
