Ben Affleck supports veterans

The Go All in for Veterans Poker Tournament can count on Oscar winning actor Ben Affleck to help raise funds for Paralysed Veterans of America

Oscar winning actor Ben Affleck is one of many poker players, stars and politicians involved in the Go All In for Veterans Tournament, in aid of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, an organisation that works to raise awareness and funds for veterans of the American Armed Services who have been disabled in the line of duty.

Affleck, himself a former Californian State Poker Championship winner will co-chair the event alongside poker pros Andy Bloch, Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, Kenna James and Lee Childs, as well as six members of the United States House of Representatives. Hosting the event is the most recent addition to the Poker Hall of Fame, Mike Sexton. He is the main host of World Poker Tour and spokesperson for PartyPoker.com, an online poker room.

The winner of the $250 buy-in event will earn a $10,000 seat at the 2010 World Series of Poker Event in Las Vegas, the most star-studded poker tournament in the world. The tournament will feature an opening reception, hors d'oeuvres, poker clinic, poker tables of 10 playing Texas Hold'em Poker and a silent auction.

The event, which takes place in Washington on 3rd March, has secured a raft of sponsors. Major corporate sponsors include Walmart, Reynolds America, Orchestrate Technology, Merkle, Data Management Inc. and Midwest Direct Mailers, ensuring that this event will stand out from the many other charity events in the calendar. Another sponsor of the event is Poker Players Alliance, an American non-profit interest group formed to serve as an advocacy group to Washington to establish rights and protections to for US poker players. Within the first year of its existence, the PPA garnered over 600,000 members and in April 2008, the PPA claimed to have signed up its one millionth member.

The Paralysed Veterans of America (PVA) was founded in 1946 by a group of spinal cord injured service members who returned home from World War II, and is dedicated to veterans service, medical research and civil rights for people with disabilities. Its mission is to develop a unique expertise on a wide variety of issues involving the special needs of its members, who are veterans of the United States Armed Forces and have experienced spinal cord injuries or dysfunction. The PVA is the only Congressionally chartered veterans’ service organisation dedicated solely for the benefit and representation of individuals with spinal cord injuries or disease.