I have to start by admitting that I am not a charitable fellow as a rule.
Not that I don’t care, but man, it just seems like one of those things that sounds like it is a good thing to get involved with, but who really has the time?
Recently I’ve had a change of heart, and of priorities, and I’m making the effort to do something about this. It’s not the big newsworthy tragedies that have caused this change, like the recent devastating earthquake in Japan, but has been a result of meeting people that have taken the time to get involved helping others, whether it be through adopting orphans or building schools in Africa.
In the wonderful, exciting, and profitable industry that we’re all involved with there has been a lot more take than give. And while that is normal and to be expected, what is unusual is that the give part has really been almost non-existent. Yes, we see some great efforts by some of the larger poker sites to hold fund-raising tournaments, and yes, I am sure there are a few philanthropists among us, but as an industry I believe we need to get more involved in giving back to the communities that we work in.
In Dublin, as the first “official” event of the iGaming Supershow in May, the Fairway Charity Golf Open will attempt to do just that.
With the support of the industry, including CasinoAffiliatePrograms.com, FreMantleMedia, CalvinAyre.com and iGaming Business, amongst many others, this afternoon event will see up to 50 golfers participate in a fund-raising event for ChildrenFirst, an Irish charitable organization that supports families that have difficulty providing for their needs. Held at the K-Club’s Ryder Cup course, the event is open to everyone in the industry, and is a chance for participants to enjoy a fun networking event while knowing that they are helping to make a difference.
I hope this event will encourage other industry leaders to increase their own charitable works, and that we, as an industry, can benefit by helping others.
This post was contributed by Gian Perroni, the Affiliate Program Director for Fairway Casino, a live dealer casino on the Visionary iGaming platform.