No, not all Texas Hold’em poker games fight human trafficking and sex slavery.
But on Saturday, Universal Cargo Management’s CEO Devin Burke, Managing Director Kamy Eliassi, and Account Executive Carlos Perla were in a Texas Hold’em tournament that was. The buy in was only $40; but, because it was a fundraiser in the fight against human trafficking, the stakes were high.
It was the first annual Poker Tournament/Silent Auction fundraising event held by iEmpathize.
iEmpathize is a child advocacy and media movement that creates and collaborates with grassroots solutions impacting vulnerable and victimized children of human trafficking. They wrestle out strategies in the field and creatively inspire people to empathize and engage.
If you read our blog or have checked out our Mission Page, you know Universal Cargo Management supports organizations like iEmpathize and Zoe International that fight human trafficking and the sex slavery it produces where the victims are so often vulnerable children.
We like that iEmpathize uses creativity and fun events to engage people in this serious issue.
The Texas Hold’em Event was certainly fun and especially fun for Kamy, who won the whole tournament. That’s right, Universal Cargo Management’s own Managing Director was the grand prize winning poker player of the night!
We won’t embarrass Kamy by describing his child-like grin or how “foolishly happy” he was, as his coworkers put it. But we will post the picture you see on the right. Is that a sideways baseball cap, Kamy?
As the tournament winner, Kamy received an iPad 2 and everyone who played got door prizes; however, the real winners of the night are the children who will be impacted iEmpathize.
All the proceeds of the night go to iEmpathize’s Southern CA projects where they are impacting vulnerable and victimized children from the child sex slavery industry.
Often, we think of sex slavery and human trafficking as a problem far away in other countries, but it is happening right here in Southern California and all over the United States.
Check out this video from iEmphasize in which a survivor of human trafficking and sex slavery shares her story.
iEmpathize is a 501(c)3 and all gifts are tax deductible.
