Months after Lady Gaga rocked Jones Paul Jones Arena with her poker face, University students will have the chance to bring their own steely gaze to the table. By participating in the third annual "Hold 'em for Hunger" Texas Hold 'em tournament, students can gamble for a good cause.
The tournament is held each year by the University chapter of Nourish International, an organization of about 500 hundred college students across 22 American campuses with the goal of creating sustainable development projects to fight global poverty.
Nourish International targets poverty-stricken communities in underdeveloped countries, and this year's tournament will raise money to support the construction of greenhouses in Ecuador.
But unlike many similar charities, Nourish International's mission is not just to relieve poverty but rather to create sustainable solutions. According to its website, the organization specifically looks for communities with entrepreneurial visions which they simply lack the funds to undertake. Students work with local leaders to solve problems and empower impoverished communities.
Since its founding in 2009, this is the second year in a row that the University chapter will be working with communities in Ecuador.
Students typically spend four to five weeks working in Ecuador during the summer. Nourish member Ivan Perilla said the organization's goal this year is to raise $4,000 before its departure.
The group holds several fundraisers to cover this cost, but "Hold 'Em for Hunger" is its top resource.
Nourish Financial Officer Dana Schawelson said students can enter the tournament for free, as money is raised instead through donations.
All the funds raised will go toward the organization's construction project this summer. The new greenhouses will be used to grow vegetables, providing a way to fill the nutrition gap in local diets. Nourish President Haley Adams highlighted the importance of this task, explaining that malnutrition "is a rampant problem in Ecuador."\nPerilla explained how greenhouse construction, in keeping with Nourish International's mission of lasting solutions, will have a two-fold effect on eradicating the trappings of poverty.
"The idea of the greenhouse is it provides an institution which the community can use for fresh organic produce as well as an income supplement without superimposing any ideology or changing of culture," Perilla said, adding the local economy receives a boost without disrupting existing community ties.
University students do not do take on this task alone - they coordinate with a non-governmental organization close to the local community.
"The local communities reach out to the NGO and a partnership relationship is formed," Perilla said.
But the benefits are not limited to the local residents. Student volunteers receive a unique opportunity for enrichment by participating in a global effort.
"I admire that this organization is dedicated to bringing students together to empower communities struck by poverty around the world," Schawelson said.
This weekend, members will help communities across the world by starting here in Charlottesville. "Hold 'em for Hunger" will take place Sunday in Newcomb Hall. Participants can register as individuals or in teams at the event. The organization is offering "bragging rights and prizes from local restaurants" to the winners of the tournament.
"Why wouldn't you want to play poker while simultaneously helping to eradicate poverty?" Schawelson said.
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