Gambling for Good

It's what republicans in congress don't want you to know. It's what you somehow always knew... but never let yourself quite believe. That's correct. Gambling is the ultimate act of charity.

That was true, at least, on April 4th in Hastings, Nebraska. MC'd by Nebraskan Democratic candidate for Senator, Scott Kleeb, the long awaited Texas Hold ‘Em Fundraiser Tournament kicked off. Along with the gaming events there was a silent auction, and when the silence needed shattering, a local singing performer was brought in to entertain participants and add to the festivities. Figures as to the financial success of the event were unavailable.

Nebraskan Democratic Candidate Leads the Way
For Scott Kleeb, this event was right along his line of thinking - except for one detail. Kleeb, a self-described "terrible" poker player, is a long time advocate of community blood drives, CPR instruction, and supporting the Red Cross.

Kleeb was inspired by the open-handed American response to the Indian Ocean tsunami that struck East Asia in December 2004, when close to $1 billion in support funds was raised in the United States.

"Every day in the county served by this chapter of the Red Cross, we need 100 pints of blood...whether it's for tornado relief, hurricane relief, or whether it's tsunami relief overseas, " Kleeb said in a recent interview.

It is guys like Kleeb and events like this that will one day make the world know how potentially good the game poker really is.