Published on November 11, 2008
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 11, 2008 |
CONTACT: Sarah Leon 703-837-3688 Sarah.Leon@preventcancer.org |
Third place finisher at World Series of Poker, Dennis Phillips, will donate $45,000
to the Prevent Cancer Foundation
ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Prevent Cancer Foundation will receive one percent of poker professional Dennis Phillips’ third place winnings totaling $4.5 million from the final table of the 2008 World Series of Poker tournament, the largest poker tournament in the world.
The 39th annual WSOP Main Event was held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., on Nov. 9. Phillips was the chip leader heading into the final table, where he played against eight players who had advanced from a pool of several thousand. After nearly eight hours, Phillips managed to outplay six of the November Nine to walk away with $4.5 million.
Phillips plans to uphold his Bad Beat on Cancer™ “one percent pledge” by donating $45,000 to the Prevent Cancer Foundation — the only organization in the United States solely dedicated to the prevention of cancer since 1985.
“I am thrilled to contribute a portion of my WSOP earnings to the Prevent Cancer Foundation,” says Phillips. “It’s great to be able to give to these charities that I love.”
PokerStars.com has pledged to match Phillips’ $45,000 donation, giving the Foundation a total of $90,000 to help fund its work in the areas of cancer research, education and community outreach to all populations including children and the underserved.
“We congratulate Dennis on his impressive finish at the final table,” says Jan Bresch Mahrer, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Prevent Cancer Foundation. “And we are profoundly grateful for his pledge to the Foundation through the Bad Beat on Cancer initiative. His gift will go a long way in our fight against cancer.”
Phillips was inspired to take the Bad Beat on Cancer “one percent pledge” after speaking with fellow poker professional and Prevent Cancer Foundation board member, Phil Gordon, who started the initiative to support cancer prevention, research and education through poker.
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About Prevent Cancer Foundation
The Prevent Cancer Foundation (formerly the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation) was started in 1985. Today, it is one of the nation’s leading health organizations and has catapulted cancer prevention to prominence. Through healthy lifestyle choices, you can reduce your risk of breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, oral, prostate, skin and testicular cancers.
Since its inception the Foundation has provided more than $106 million in support of cancer prevention and early detection research, education and community outreach programs. The Foundation’s peer-reviewed grants have been awarded to more than 300 scientists from more than 150 of the leading academic medical centers nationwide. This research has been pivotal in developing a body of knowledge that is the basis for important cancer prevention and early detection strategies. For more information, please visit www.preventcancer.org.
About Bad Beat on Cancer
Since 2003, with the help of poker pros Phil Gordon and Rafe Furst, poker has been an integral part of raising much needed support for the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s funding of cancer prevention and early detection research, education and community outreach.
Since its inception, Bad Beat on Cancer™ (BBoC) has raised over $2 million and has grown to include other major poker tournaments, home games and leagues. The initiative has inspired amateurs and pros alike to pledge one percent of their winnings for life, including stars Phil Hellmuth, Jr., Paul Wasicka, Andy Bloch, Annie Duke, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, and now Dennis Phillips.
