Nautica Poker Festival Expands

Nautica Charity Poker Festivals will extend its 12-festival schedule with one additional festival in September benefiting Art on Wheels, the host charity, and more than double its schedule in 2006 with 24+ Festivals. The final 2005 Festival will be held Thursday, September 15th through Sunday, September 18th and feature a $50,000 Texas Hold 'Em tournament with first-place prize of $15,000.

"We wanted to host two festivals this summer and are really excited to do so," noted Carolina Martin, Executive Director of Art on Wheels. "Our first festival was a tremendous success and we are confident our second festival will be even better." added Carolina.

"Our goal is to raise over $500,000 in net income for charities this year and $1 million next year," said Dave Grunenwald, Vice-President of Development/Leasing for Jacobs Investments, Inc., the organizer of the event. Over $424,000 in net income will have been raised by charities hosting Nautica Charity Poker Festivals over the last 12 weeks, from fund-raising that reached out to new people as a source for revenue. That translates into nearly $9,000 net income per day for each charity hosting the four-day Festivals. Gross income raised by the charities over the past 12 festivals will be over $677,000, from which expenses including utilities, security and promotion are deducted.

This weekend's Festival is hosted by Northern Ohio Breast Cancer Coalition Fund. Other charities that have hosted Festivals include the Cleveland Police Athletic League, Art on Wheels, Easter Seals, Cleveland Baseball Federation, Special Olympics, Up Side of Downs, Cleveland Municipal Football Association, Amateur Figure Skaters of America Endowment Fund, Garfield Heights Athletic Booster Club and Church of the Transfiguration.

The Nautica Charity Poker Festivals consist of 12 four-day festivals featuring Texas Hold 'Em played in tournament and open-play format, inside an air-conditioned Festival Center at the Nautica Entertainment Complex. The final Festival will be identified as the 14th Festival, avoiding any association with the unlucky number 13. Festivals are held Thursday through Sunday and have run throughout the summer. Winners of tournaments have been awarded cash prizes of over $342,000 with a top weekly prize of $2,400 awarded on Sunday. In addition, thousands of dollars were won in open-play cash games. While players keep their cash winnings, each Festival is hosted by a qualified charity that receives 100% of the proceeds in the form of hourly seat fees and concession income.

"These festivals have accomplished exactly what we hoped. They have resulted in significant funds raised for the participating charities and have provided another entertainment alternative for the people of Northeast Ohio," said Dave Grunenwald.

"Everyone involved, including the participating charities, would like to thank the Cuyahoga County Commissioners, Mayor Campbell and Councilman Joe Cimperman for their support, which helped make this possible," added Grunenwald.