Celebrities and Poker Stars Including Annie Duke and Shannon Elizabeth Let It Ride for Charity at Celebrity Casino Royale

Online, May 26, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Celebrities and poker stars came together on May 24 to play in The H.O.M.E. Foundation's Celebrity Casino Royale poker tournament at Avalon Hollywood, raising money and awareness for wonderful charities including spcaLA and the I'm Too Young For This Cancer Foundation.

Professional Poker Player, WSOP Winner, Author and "Celebrity Apprentice" star Annie Duke came out ready to play poker and raise money for charity. Celebrities battled against Annie Duke with the casino crowd cheering her on. Unfortunately, Annie Duke did not make it to the Final Table, getting outplayed by celebrities including Dancing with the Stars alumni Shannon Elizabeth and ABC's "Off the Map" star Nicholas Gonzalez - both made it to the Final Table.

WWE Superstar Mike "The Miz" Mizanin, a natural crowd pleaser, threw down some good hands, along with other guest celebrities including Actors Benito Martinez, Michael Gladis, Carl Weathers, Josh Henderson and Corey Feldman, among others. Some reality stars fared well against the poker pros including "Survivor" winner Judson Birza, "Real Housewives of Orange County" stars Alexis and Jim Bellino and "Amazing Race" contestants and Pro Poker Players Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle.

But at Celebrity Casino Royale, the real winners are the benefiting charities - spcaLA and the I'm Too Young For This Cancer Foundation. According to Frank Verdugo, president of The H.O.M.E. Foundation and event host, the event raised much needed funds and awareness for amazing causes while bringing together pokers stars and celebrities for a night of great entertainment. The H.O.M.E. Foundation committed to raising $200,000 for the charities and is well on its way achieving that goal.

Celebrity Casino Royale featured a casino area including blackjack and roulette tables, along with the main attraction, a poker tournament. Over 100 poker stars, celebrities and VIP guests competed in the tournament for a chance to win fabulous grand prizes including Original Steve Soffa Watches, a Buy In to the WSOP and a $13,000 European Vacation, among trips to Dublin, Scotland, Italy and Costa Rica. Guests who stayed until the conclusion of the poker tournament were treated to great musical Performances by FATMAGIC, iHEARTStereo and Shancey.

The H.O.M.E. Foundation thanks its friends and sponsors including Andrew Lakey, Ayala 1972, Bellanza Med Spa, Biz Marketing Machines.com, Charity Lives, Delta, Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita Mexico, Kalia Living, My Mixed Nuts, and Steve Soffa (the official bracelet designer for the World Series of Poker).

About The H.O.M.E. Foundation:
The H.O.M.E. Foundation believes that helping others means everything. Our mission is to help charities reach their fundraising goals and to bring awareness to their praiseworthy causes. We're excited to announce the launch of our H.O.M.E. Foundation Raffle, with the grand prize being a fully furnished luxury home in Los Angeles, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional prizes, which will serve as a fundraiser for deserving non-profits across the country. http://www.HOMEFoundationRaffle.com

About spcaLA:
spcaLA is an independent, nonprofit animal welfare organization serving Southern California since 1877. Donations run programs and services including Cruelty Investigation, Disaster Animal Response Team, Humane Education and a variety of shelter services. For more information on spcaLA, visit http://www.spcala.com.

About I'm Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation:
70,000 young adult Americans age 15-40 are diagnosed with cancer each year; one every eight minutes. The I'm Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation is the nation's largest support community for this next generation of patients, survivors and caregivers. Connect online at http://StupidCancer.com.