PokerStars and Full Tilt Launch Relief Initiative to Help Earthquake Victims in Nepal
On Saturday, April 25, a tremendous earthquake of 7.8 on the Richter scale struck Nepal, bringing devastation to a large part of the country and causing nearly 10,000 deaths.
As the world mobilizes to help the people of Nepal and to bring humanitarian aid to the area affected by the earthquake, PokerStars and Full Tilt decided to ask the poker community to do its part and participate to a new charitable initiative presented on April 28 on the PokerStars Blog.
"The people of Nepal are in trouble and we want your help," the Head of Corporate Giving for PokerStars and Full Tilt Sue Hammett wrote. "On behalf of PokerStars, Full Tilt and Amaya, the Helping Hands corporate giving program is calling out to the poker community to support the relief operations."
"We will double your donation," Hammett promised. "Give a dollar and we'll make it two. Give us $50? We'll match it and pass $100 over to CARE International, who are on the ground helping to save lives right this second."
With a population of 26 million individuals, a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of $2,400, and with more than 24 percent of the total population living with less than $1,25 a day - Nepal is a country that desperately need everyone's help right now.
"The US government has pledged $1 million, Great Britain ��5 million, Australia $5 million, the European Commission �3 million," Hammett continued. "I'd like to think that the international poker community can show its heart by digging deep. We will match your donation and together we will make a real difference. Please make whatever contribution you can and do it now. Just $5 will provide a whole family with food for a day."
How To Make A Donation Through PokerStars
Players at PokerStars are now welcomed by a new pop-up message about the campaign as soon as they start PokerStars 7 client.
To make a donation, simply click on the ��Donate' button - as this will redirect you a new landing page with all the info you need about the campaign and the different ways to send your donation.
Dummy Tournaments: The easiest way to make a donation is to register for the 'Dummy Tournaments,' the special events that you can find in the PokerStars lobby under the 'Tournaments' tab.
The Dummy Tournaments are nor real online events, but simply a way to collect donations - they allow you to give a contribution in the amounts of $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $200, $500, $1,000, �1, �10 and �100.
Transfer money to the Nepal Fund: Alternatively, you can give your contribution by making a player transfer to the account 'Nepal Fund.' To do so, go to the Cashier in the PokerStars lobby and select 'Transfer to Player'. Click that button and a dialogue box will appear. Enter the amount and the player ID as 'Nepal Fund'. Your specified amount will then be added to the Nepal Earthquake Appeal Fund.
Donate Your Frequent Player Points (FPPs): If you wish to do so, you can also help the people affected by the earthquake in Nepal by donating your FPPs. To use your FPPs as a donation, go to the Cashier, and select 'VIP Store' in the VIP Club section. Once there, you will be able to use them to send a donation to CARE.
How To Make A Donation Through Full Tilt Or The CARE Website
Full Tilt players can also give their contribution by launching the room's poker client and by searching and registering for the Nepal Earthquake Relief, a series of events similar to PokerStars' Dummy Tournaments.
Alternatively, they can transfer money to the account "Nepal Fund" or visit this special landing page just published at CARE International, where a contribution can be made through Paypal and all the major credit cards.
Image courtesy of Time Magazine
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