Tuesday, May 8, 2012    Text size: 

LOS ANGELES — The Screaming O has signed on as co-sponsor of the upcoming Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament to benefit AIDS/Lifecycle and Team Long Beach, which embarks on a seven-day bicycle ride down the California coast to raise funds and awareness to fight HIV/AIDS.

Up to 100 players will convene at the Long Beach Hilton on May 12 to compete for thousands of dollars in prizes with an adjacent fully stocked blackjack table. The event also will have a silent auction raffle with prizes that include top shelf wine and liquor baskets, spa massages, original artwork, golf supplies, salon services and premium sex toys and adult gift baskets courtesy of the award-winning Screaming O.

“AIDS/HIV awareness and sexual wellness education is an effort The Screaming O takes very seriously, and we jump at any opportunity to support the cause and promote safe sex,” The Screaming O partner Keith Caggiano said. “AIDS/LifeCycle and its Texas Hold’em tourney are fun and interactive ways to help make a difference, and we have a very special player in mind to represent us, a member of our very own Scream Team. We’d like to invite — no, challenge! — our peers and colleagues to sign up and show us what they’re made of!”

AIDS/LifeCycle is a week-long, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles that raises money and awareness for HIV/AIDS with thousands of participating cyclists and “Volunteer Roadies.” The work has supported the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and for 19 years, and this marks the 11th year with the AIDS/LifeCycle moniker. Team Long Beach will join others from across the country June 3 for this epic ride.

VIP table sponsorships are still available, awarding sponsors with $5,000 in poker chips, one free re-buy, a guaranteed spot in the tournament, branding on a designated table and in all marketing materials, and a special commemorative gift after the final winner is announced.

$100 advance donations will garner $5,000 in poker chips, and contestants can take advantage of $20 re-buys within the first hour of the tournament.

Half of all proceeds will be divvied among the prize winners — the top 20 players will win — while the rest goes directly to AIDS/LifeCycle Team Long Beach.

The Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament will take place Saturday, May 12, from 6-10 p.m. at the Long Beach Hilton Hotel, 701 West Ocean Blvd. For tickets, click here.

For more information about the Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament, please email jfhelsinki@yahoo.com , or call (561) 707-5920.

For more information about The Screaming O, visit TheScreamingO.com.