One of the biggest struggles with youth these days is keeping them engaged and off the couch and electronics. This is where sports and training can play a positive role, since children get physical exercise, plus develop friendships and interpersonal skills to use for the rest of their lives.
However, young athletes can also face challenges, such as making sure they attend practices and have enough money for training and equipment to do well in their sport. Tri City Athletic Center, a nonprofit small grassroot organization in Newark, focuses on helping athletes with both training and after-school assistance.
With the long-term goal of assisting more young athletes with the skills and resources needed to be successful, both on and off the field, the center provides academic scholarships and does community outreach. One outreach event was a collaboration between Newark Vice Mayor Eve Marie Little and Tri City Athletic Center executive director Tiffany Allen-Vargas.
Together, the two came up with the idea of organizing the “Aces for Athletes” charity poker tournament using their facility. On Saturday, Sept. 6, over 40 players, including Newark Mayor Mike Hannon, attended and played cards at the tournament officially sponsored by All In Poker League.
Courtesy of Eve Marie Little
Courtesy of Eve Marie Little
Courtesy of Eve Marie Little
“I can’t believe so many people would come out and join us at this very first annual fundraiser and donate so much money just to help us provide a safe and productive program for kids,” said Allen-Vargas. “I am just beyond humbled by the love and kindness, especially from the poker players.” In all, the event raised over $4,200.
The poker players also stated that they had a blast helping raise money for these young kids. According to Fremont poker player Dennis Chantieni Sr., the event was a huge way to give back to the community. “Everyone had fun, including the board members,” he said, “and it was so much fun to have the young athletes selling $1 candy!”
Due to the success of the event, the Tri-City Athletic Center aims to collaborate again with the All In Poker League to host another charity poker tournament during the upcoming spring season.
For more information about the Tri-City Athletic Center and their donation process, check out tricityac.org.
