The 2017 KORE1 Poker Tournament: A Fun Night Benefiting Charity
On the evening of Sunday, June 4th, we held the exciting first annual KORE1 Poker Tournament for charity which raised nearly $2,000 for some wonderful causes. It was a tremendously successful night of fun, food, and fellowship that saw many people win fantastic prizes and everyone leave a winner with a KORE1 goodie bag. With over 60 people in attendance to try their luck at the cards or cheer on a friend, the night raised $500 for HomeAid, $500 for OC Autism, and $900 for Charity on Wheels.
The evening’s setting and food was as memorable as the thrilling poker and blackjack showdowns. The venue, Kitchen in the Canyon in Laguna Beach, had a speakeasy feel which made it perfect for a night of cards. A world-class chef provided attendees with great culinary food such as a Chicken Marsala dinner that was exquisite, as well as a wide selection of craft cocktails, beer, and wines from around the globe. A special thank you goes out to our party planner, Laura Buckle of LB Luxury Events, and DJ Trouble for helping us put together a successful evening.
Over the course of several hours, the competition left a final table of five players: Eric Hansen, Rob Ryan, Bob Caustin, Chris Guziak, and Dave Lim. As they battled back and forth like warriors, it came down to the wire with Eric beating the overwhelming odds to catch two final cards to make his flush and bring home the victory. Eric “The Hammer” Hansen took home a $500 VISA gift card and a bottle of champagne for this feat. At the same time, Kevin Shearer was crowned champion in our accompanying Blackjack Tournament, and received a Hand & Stone Massage gift certificate.
And the prizes didn’t stop there. Congratulations are also in order for ten additional winners…
Chris Guziak – Kore1 laptop bag and Duvel beer package- Bob Caustin – Dayna Decker gift basket
- Faith Daly – El Ranchito gift basket
- Cris Costa – 5.11 Tactical Day Pack valued at $70
- Dave Lim – British Hair Company gift basket
- Geoff Broughman – Mozambique gift basket
- Jim Daly – El Ranchito gift basket
- Faith Daly – Huit gift basket
- Rob Ryan – Fokus Pilates package
- Tom Stewart – 3 hour DJ session from DJ Smashed
…as well as three big raffle winners:
- Steve Gladstone – Beauty with a Mission gift basket valued at $650
- Tom Stewart – 5.11Tactical & Outdoor Tech package valued at $250
- Geoff Broughman – A $100 Eva’s Caribbean Kitchen gift certificate
After the all cards were dealt and prizes were given away, the most rewarding part of my day was seeing the nearly $2,000 raised go to wonderful charities in our community. This exceeded our expectations, and we owe a huge thank you to everyone that supported and attended the inaugural event. The praise received the following day from many people has me confident that next year we can make the tournmanet even bigger and challenge ourselves to raise more money. For additional photographs from this and other KORE1 events, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
