By April MacIntyre Dec 31, 2008, 1:55 GMT
A handful of stars are starting off the New Year right by helping to raise money for children with handicap issues and blindness.
Brad Garrett (pictured), Adam Baldwin, Daniel Baldwin, Chris McDonald, Judd Nelson are among the announced poker players competing for the non profit TLC, founded 30 Years ago by eight families whose children were both blind and handicapped and who had nowhere to go for help. © Glenn Harris / PR Photos
Every day, 300 babies are born both blind and disabled.
Brad Garrett, Adam Baldwin, Daniel Baldwin, Chris McDonald, Judd Nelson are among the announced poker players competing for the non profit TLC, founded 30 Years ago by eight families whose children were both blind and handicapped and who had nowhere to go for help.
This charity event will honor Anchor/Reporter Leyna Nguyen, Entrepreneur Robert H. “Bob” Lorsch and Casino Chairman Haig Papaian.
For the past 30 years, TLC, Therapeutic Learning Centers for The Blind (link), has provided ‘round the clock care for a unique constituency: individuals who are challenged by blindness along with developmental disabilities, many of whom spend their entire lifetimes in the care of the community at TLC, located in Reseda, California.
At the Children’s Center, which will be built adjacent to the TLC campus in Reseda, parents of very young children will be able to access immediate support as they navigate their way through an unexpected and difficult new world. Building this Children’s Center means that essential therapies, educational opportunities and hope await these babies.
On Sat., Jan. 17, Hollywood’s favorite poker players, Brad Garrett, Adam Baldwin, Daniel Baldwin, Judd Nelson and Chris McDonald, among them, will descend on the Commerce Casino, in Commerce, Calif., for a lively night of “Texas Hold’ em Celebrity Poker” to raise funds for TLC’s new Children’s Center.
Tickets for the “All in to Win for Kids Texas Hold ‘em Celebrity Poker Tournament,” which begins at 4PM, can be obtained by calling (818) 708 1740, x 125, or purchased online here.
The grand prize for this event is a seat into the World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational and $2,500 in cash.
Great prizes will be awarded to the final ten players in addition to a raffle and a silent auction.
TLC proceeds from this event will be matched by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. In 2007, the Foundation recognized the gap in services and committed $4.8 million toward both a capital campaign to build the center and create an ongoing fundraising arm for TLC.
This opportunity was granted to the organization after an independent research study found that a therapeutic educational center serving infants, toddlers and preschool age children was desperately needed.
The greater Los Angeles area including San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Simi Valleys do not have adequate services for special needs children with blindness. The TLC Children’s Center will be an integrated resource for parents and their children.
Your Talkback on this Story