Kerala Floods have been a natural calamity that has forced the entire nation to yet again come together and shoulder the loss of human lives, shelter and amenities. While the government is doing its own bit, the citizens of the nation have come out in a brave and earnest display of solidarity for the flood affected regions of the God’s Own Country. From celebrities to daily office-goers and wage earners, everyone has been donating money or in kind to facilitate relief for Kerala. With a growing support for Kerala’s relief, the growing poker community in India wasn’t the one to be left behind.
On the eve of 23rd August, the poker community in India got together for an online tournament at PokerBaazi. While the tournament would offer the expected thrills from an intense game of poker, different Baazigars – how poker players are fondly referred at PokerBaazi – played with all of their heart, for they were actually contributing towards Kerala’s relief fund. In addition to donating the entry fees collected from the tournament, PokerBaazi matched the same amount to further increase the donations, for in times of distress, every penny counts. The platform was, therefore, successful in donating a total amount of INR 3, 78,000 to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.
Commenting on the donations, Navkiran Singh, Founder of PokerBaazi.com, said, “Kerala Floods are a calamity that warrants us all to come together and help, in whichever capacity we can. While we are sure that individuals have been contributing in their personal capacity, at PokerBaazi we witnessed a number of poker enthusiasts come together to play the game and collect funds for Kerala’s relief. Seeing the enthusiasm from the community, we were more than happy to match the total entry fee of the tournament that would go as donations, and further increase the amount. We pray for Kerala’s relief and urge everyone to keep donating, in cash or kind, for the relief and rehabilitation of Kerala.”
PokerBaazi has never kept away from utilizing its popularity as an online poker platform in delivering social impact. Earlier on the occasion of the Earth Day, the platform had joined hands with Conserve India to conduct a clean Yamuna Drive. The NGO trained individuals in collecting and processing plastic wastes on the banks of the river. To support their cause, PokerBaazi donated 1, 80,000 worth of funds, collected as entry fees from the tournament and an equal amount contributed by PokerBaazi.
