Celebrities such as Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Sarah Silverman, Jason Alexander and Charles Barkley joined poker stars at the 2009 Ante Up for Africa poker tournament. Founded in 2006 by Don Cheadle, Annie Duke and Norman Epstein, Ante Up for Africa has raised over $2 million to help end the crisis in Darfur. Visit www.anteupforafrica.org to learn more.
The annual Ante Up for Africa, No Limit Texas Hold'em Tournament in association with the World Series of Poker, has raised over $360,000. Hosted by Don Cheadle and Annie Duke, the tournament was a great success and saw many celebrities turn out in force. According to Annie Duke the tournament raised $360,000 for Darfur.
The tournament merges Cheadle and Duke's desire to contribute to a resolution of this crisis and their passion for poker. All players were asked to donate half of their winnings to Ante Up for Africa, which in turn will make a significant contributions to Enough and Refugees International. If you missed the tournament you can support Enough by pledging here.Your donation will be 100% tax deductible.
The tournament comes as the dire crisis in Darfur is entering its sixth year. The conflict has killed 400,000 people and forced more than 3 million Darfuris to flee their homes. The recent expulsion of key international humanitarian groups by the government of Sudan in response to the International Criminal Court’s issuance of an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir has placed hundreds of thousands of the most needy at even greater risk and without access to medical care or reliable food supplies. President Bashir continues to utilize starvation as a weapon of war to silence his opponents and to distract the world from the key issues in Darfur. Now more than ever, there needs to be a dynamic international effort to move beyond simply managing Sudan’s multiple crises and forge a lasting and equitable peace for all of Sudan that ensures genuine power-sharing.
Our hope is that through efforts like Ante Up for Africa, we can continue to keep the issue in the spotlight while providing real funds to support a brighter future for the people of Sudan.
Ante Up for Africa 2009
On the Red Carpet at the Ante Up for Africa 2009
Matt Damon at the Ante Up for Africa 2009 Tournament
Ante Up for Africa 2008
Last year's tournament featured poker stars and Hollywood celebrities all coming together to support organizations that provide aid and assistance to the people of Darfur and Southern Sudan. Watch below:
Ante Up for Africa Video News
Jason Alexander shows PokerNews his new poker face.
Don Cheadle on Ante Up for Africa
Actor and activist Don Cheadle discusses the Ante Up For Africa poker tournament hosted by the ENOUGH Project and International Rescue Committee in Las Vegas on July 5, 2007.
