The Minnesota Vikings’ Adrian Peterson, the Arizona Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald, and roughly 30 NFL football players were primed and ready to participate in a charity poker game to raise money for Africa. Before they could begin, however, the players needed the go-ahead from the NFL, which has a no-tolerance policy for player gambling. But for charity, surely the NFL would relent.
The charity event “Raise Your Hand for Africa” is in its inaugural year, hosted at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, Nevada. Celebrities around the U.S. participate with proceeds going to the Starkey Hearing Foundation. The foundation uses its resources to provide hearing devices to children in Africa.
The NFL, despite the charitable cause of the poker game, told the players they could not participate. The NFL, especially in recent years, is known for its strict rules on player conduct off the field. They issued no press release or statement from the front office.
The Starkey Hearing Foundation is a well-known charity based out of Minnesota and, if any charitable game of poker were to be approved by the NFL, “Raise Your Hand for Africa” would be it. The game attracted a large number of celebrity players, including Don Cheadle, Steve Martin, and Verne Troyer. A few professional poker players also showed up, such as Phil Hellmuth and Michelle Lau. Overall, despite the NFL hiccup, the event was a success.
The group of NFL players who were prevented from playing ended up cheering on their favorite players and helping out on the side. Their presence alone aided in the foundation’s fundraising effort.