A unique online fund-raising effort led by David Zaslav, President and Chief Executive Officer of Discovery Inc. and a Mount Sinai board member, has raised more than $1.2 million to support front-line staff at the Mount Sinai Health System.
The “All-In For Mount Sinai” celebrity poker tournament, held Saturday, April 25, included celebrities, leaders of business and finance, and Mount Sinai board members. All of the funds raised were donated to the Mount Sinai COVID-19 Response Fund, which will pay for personal protective equipment, meals, and other support for health care providers and other front-line workers at the Mount Sinai Health System.
The 65 participants included many figures from entertainment and sports: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Joy Behar, Bobby Flay, Chip Gaines, Cheryl Hines, Lorraine Bracco, Jason Alexander, Brad Garrett, Jordan Spieth, Adam Savage, Boris Becker, Bob Balaban, Shannon Elizabeth, Dr. Sandra Lee, Buddy Valastro, Mike Finnegan, Jesse James, Michael Symon, Dave Salmoni, Sig Hansen, Amanda Freitag, Tory Belleci, Will Packer, Suzanne Todd, Willie Garson, and Chris Harrison. Tiger Woods also supported the effort by announcing the tournament earlier in the week across his social channels, reaching millions.
In addition, David Solomon, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs; Joe Kernen, host of CNBC’s Squawk Box; and Kevin Plank, founder of Under Armour, participated, along with Mount Sinai board members Richard Friedman, Frank Bisignano, and Robert Savage.
The donations came from 795 donors and were made via Pledgeling, an online company that helps businesses partner with nonprofits.
The event was hosted by Americas Cardroom, an online poker site.