PokerStars players' Haiti relief donations pass $670,000
26/01/2010
Let no one say PokerStars players don't have hearts.
With five days left to go in PokerStars' Haiti relief fundraising drive, PokerStars players have donated more than $670,000 to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
As you're no doubt aware by now, PokerStars is matching every dollar of its players donations. After the first $500,000 in donations came in, PokerStars shipped $1 million to the IFRC. When the end of the month comes, another big check is going out.
Donating is easy. There are two ways you can send money for the relief effort.
In the PokerStars lobby, go to Tourney >> Special and enter one of the dummy 'Haiti Earthquake Relief' tournaments listed there. 'Buy-ins' range from $1,000 all the way down to $1. You will not need to play an actual tournament, instead all of the 'entry fees' go straight to the fund.
You can make a private player transfer for any amount to the account 'Haiti Fund'. Go to 'Requests' in the client top menu and select 'Transfer Funds'.
And where is that money going? We asked and learned quite a bit.
So far, more than IFRC 40 flights have landed in Haiti. More than 550 tons of relief supplies have arrived on the island. More than 17,000 people have already been helped and the expectation is that another 80,000 people will get the help they need this week.
Haitian Red Cross volunteer Shiela Gabriel checks up on Oresto Orglori, 4, who suffered severe injuries including the loss of his right arm in the earthquake. Hopital General, Port-au-Prince. January 23, 2010. -- Credit Talia Frenkel/American Red Cross
This is the largest single-country deployment in Red Cross Red Crescent history. So far, the relief workers have distributed health kits for 30,000 people across Haiti's capital. More than 1,000 people are getting emergency medical treatment every day. More than two million liters of water have already gone out from the Red Cross Red Crescent group across Port-au-Prince.
That's just a glimpse of the efforts going on in Haiti.
Again, thanks to everyone who has donated and will donate before this Sunday. Your generosity is unparalleled and more appreciated than you will ever realize.
