The Stars and Pros Come Out For The Raise Your Hand For Africa Texas Hold-em Tournament

Adrian Peterson, Bill Austin and Larry Fitzgerald Jr.

Africa's hearing-impaired children were the hands down winners of the Raise Your Hand for Africa Texas Hold'em Tournament, where stars from the gridiron, poker world, Hollywood and music industry put their cards on the table on February 19, 2011 at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas.

The event was attended by more than 350 participants and raised awareness for Starkey Hearing Foundation, dedicated to providing hearing instruments to those in need; and PROS FOR AFRICA, a non-profit relief organization providing basic needs to children of Africa, both support a combined African mission in March.



Walking the red carpet prior to the event and taking a seat at the tables, was presenter and Poker Legend Phil Hellmuth Jr., along with event co-hosts Larry Fitzgerald Jr. (Arizona Cardinals) and Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings), and some of the world's best known pros and celebrity poker players including actors Steve Martin, Kevin Sorbo, Verne Troyer, Lou Ferrigno and Daniel Romer; music legend Sam Moore; football stars, Visanthe Shiancoe (Minnesota Vikings), Vernon Davis (San Francisco 49ers), Vontae Davis (Miami Dolphins), Gerald McCoy (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Curtis Lofton (Atlanta Falcons), Mark Clayton (St. Louis Rams) and Roy Williams (Cincinnati Bengals); and poker pros Suzie Lederer, Marcel Luske, Liz Lieu and Michelle Lau.

Steve Martin Plays Poker For Charity

Taking the event's top prize, a 2011 CSM #2 Shelby Mustang, was poker novice Debbie Gostowski (Effingham, Ill) with Family Care Hearing Center, a strong supporter of Starkey Hearing Foundation. Other final table prizes included iPads and all expenses paid trips to Africa, South America and Mexico as part of Starkey Hearing Foundation missions.

"The Starkey Hearing Foundation's mission is to bring the gift of hearing to those in need," said Bill Austin, Chief Executive Officer of Starkey Laboratories and Founder of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. "Our goal is to raise awareness to help the world's hearing impaired, and we thank the football and entertainment communities as well as our event partners for staging this great tournament in support our upcoming mission to Africa."

"Today's Raise Your Hand for Africa tournament will help provide hope, help and love to the children of Africa, and make our upcoming mission possible where myself and several other football players are planning to visit Uganda and Rwanda to deliver basic life-saving needs to various communities," said Adrian Peterson.

The Raise Your Hand for Africa event precedes PROS FOR AFRICA's upcoming March mission where more than 25 football stars will bring basic necessities to the people of Africa, and join the Starkey Hearing Foundation on a special hearing mission. Under the direction of Bill Austin and a team of hearing experts, the Starkey Hearing Foundation mission to Africa will include visits to Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, with the distribution of hearing aids and batteries, custom fittings, audio testing, and counseling on how to care for the devices.

The nationally-syndicated poker show, Heartland Poker Tour, will produce a one-hour special episode highlighting Raise Your Hand for Africa that includes HPT's final table set, on-air commentators Fred Bevill and Chris Hanson, and roving camera crews. This first-of-its-kind special airs nationwide the week of April 11.

see also: Mobile Technology Helps Stars and Pros Raise Their Hands For Africa