Pokerstars, an Amaya Inc. brand, and UK men’s health charity Prostate Cancer announced Monday that the organisations are to join forces for a special one-night event in a bid to raise money to fight prostate cancer.
Titled “Lads Night In”, the first event will take place on September 25, 2015, with the objective of encouraging thousands of men across the U.K. to gather together in their own homes for bravado, banter and beers, all in the name of charity.
The participants will then donate their home game prize pool to Prostate Cancer UK to help more men survive prostate cancer and enjoy a better quality of life.
To get involved poker fans are being asked to sign up online at the Lads Night In website. Everyone who registers will receive a special Lads Night In pack, with a few gifts including a deck of cards, donated by Pokerstars, that can be used to play with friends.
Team Pokerstars Pro Jake Cody has announced his backing for the campaign and will be hosting his own VIP Lads Night In home game in London for five friends.
“Lads Night In is a really fun way to raise money and awareness for an amazing cause,” says Cody. “If you want to be in with a chance to win a VIP Lads Night In experience in London, including travel and accommodation, sign up to Lads Night In then tweet using #JCLadsNightIn explaining who your dream opponent(s) is and why. I’ll then pick my favourite, based upon the most meaningful, witty or creative!”
Lads Night In is one of a number of new initiatives launched by Prostate Cancer UK as part of its ongoing ‘Men United’ campaign – for everyone who believes men are worth fighting for. Funds raised from the home games across the country will go towards ground-breaking research that could lead to earlier diagnosis and better treatments, as well as much-needed support services.
Owen Sharp, Chief Executive at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “Prostate cancer kills one man every hour. We’re doing everything we can to change this, but it’s a numbers game and we urgently need more help if we are going to reduce the number of lives being cut short by this disease. That’s why we are calling on as many people as possible to get involved, raise funds over a friendly game of poker, and help beat this silent killer once and for all.
“The ethos of our Men United campaign is all about reaching out to men on their own turf, to inspire action for men’s health, and with a predominantly male player base it’s a natural fit. With Pokerstars’ backing, we can reach a huge pool of men to raise awareness about prostate cancer and motivate a whole new community.”
Sue Hammett, head of corporate giving at Pokerstars, said: “One in eight men in the U.K. will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. Poker is a male-dominated game and around one in five men have played poker in the U.K.
“Pokerstars is in constant contact with tens of thousands of men every day and this partnership will be invaluable in terms of spreading awareness and educating men about prostate cancer, raising money for Prostate Cancer UK and ultimately saving lives.”
Pokerstars will be carrying out a number of other promotional activities and competitions including as part of the partnership, details of which are to be unveiled in coming weeks.