Community Corner

Texas Hold 'Em Tourney Raises Funds for Baseball Team

Parents and friends of Calabasas High boys team chip in for a good cause.

Parents and friends of Calabasas High's baseball team met at the Sunday evening for a Texas Hold 'em tournament to raise money for the boys' upcoming season.

At $150 a ticket, and by selling extra poker chips along the way, organizers raised over $7,000. Prizes included a flat-screen television, a Blu-ray player and more than $700 worth of American Express gift certificates. In total, over $3,000 worth of booty was given out.  The winner of the tournament was Calabasas resident Loren Gesas.

Coyotes head coach Ed Edsall said that it was a great way to raise much-needed funds for the team.

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"What with the California budget the way it is, we're now fighting back and getting money  for equipment and field maintenance," Edsall said. In terms of the Coyotes' prospects, he said although the league is "tough," the Coyotes were "looking solid for the season."

Mike Glendenning, who runs a baseball academy for local kids, including many of the Coyotes, was the first player to fold. His downfall, he said, was betting all his chips on his first hand–a pair of threes. He didn't mind, though. "It's all for the kids," he said. "If they get the right equipment, then I'm all for it."

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Mike Vizvary and Rob Ross are the two local parents who organized the evening.  Vizvary's son Ben is on the varsity team, and Ross' son Sammy also plays. According to Vizvary, the evening was set up primarily for families of the 54 players on the freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams, but open to anyone who wanted to help a good cause.

Vizvary said the Texas hold 'em evening was "a nice community event, and it helps out. Schools have no money—it's a constant theme—so we raise money for the kids and bring the community together at the same time."

Scott Dinovitz of the helped with the venue arrangements, and served up a buffet-style dinner after the poker tournament.

Local jewelry designer and gemologist Neelam Khawani of Nirvana Treasures sold last-minute Valentine's Day gifts to attendees, donating a portion of her sales to the Coyotes.


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