Life’s Angels 10th Annual 'All-In' Poker Tournament Blows Past $1M Target

More Than 300 People Joined WSOP Celebrities “Norm and Lon” at the Long Island Event Benefitting Families “Dealt a Bad Hand”

OYSTER BAY, NY, UNITED STATES, May 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Ten years ago, a group of friends who met monthly to play poker at a VFW hall decided to dedicate one tournament each year to charity. They couldn’t agree on a single cause, so they created Life’s Angels, a nonprofit dedicated to helping all sorts of people who have been “dealt a bad hand” in life.

Now a decade later, after distributing nearly $750,000 in grants over 9 years to families facing serious hardship, Life’s Angels held a special 10th anniversary poker tournament on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.

The event at The Mansion at Oyster Bay in Woodbury, NY, was attended by over 300 people and raised more than $250,000 in that one night – for a 10-year grand total of more than $1 million raised.

“It’s amazing to see so many people come out to not only have a great time, but to support the needs of hundreds of families across the region who need a helping hand,” said Jeff Schwartz, Co-Founder of Life’s Angels. “While we’re not very surprised about the generosity of our guests, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for them all.”

The event was attended by several past players of the World Series of Poker televised tournament, as well Norman Chad and Lon McEachern, the longtime WSOP commentators, who flew in to volunteer as Masters of Ceremonies.

Several past beneficiaries of Life’s Angels grants also attended the milestone event to demonstrate how the assistance received over the years has touched so many lives. One of them had a chance to address the crowd of donors and offer her heartfelt thanks.

“About 10 years ago, my kids were 10 and 13 years old and we were facing a really, really hard time,” said Lillian, one of Life’s Angels first grant recipients. “Not only financially, but we were alone. No family, no support. Then we were blessed to come across Life’s Angels.”

Additional past beneficiaries have included:
• A high school coach hospitalized for more than a year
• Families raising children with special needs
• A mother requiring multiple brain surgeries after a fall
• Dozens of scholarships sending children with disabilities to summer camp
• Visit this link for additional beneficiaries

The organization also delivers meals to shelters, provides holiday support to struggling families, and even cooked and delivered food to frontline nurses during the height of the pandemic.

Sponsors supporting the annual fundraising event have included Madison Square Garden, the New York Yankees, New York Mets, NBC Universal, Hilton Hotels, Mutual of America, Citizens Bank and Lucas Bols.

To learn how to contribute to Life’s Angels or to get on a mailing list for next year’s event, Visit their website at lifesangels.org.

Brian Hyland
Cricket Public Relations, LLC
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Lillian, one of Life’s Angels first grant recipients, speaks at charity event

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