The 2008 Nautica Charity PokerFestivals, now in their fourth season, will begin this Thursday in a new, 12,000 sq. ft. facility located inside The Powerhouse at the Nautica Entertainment Complex. The move facilitates expanding the number of Nautica Charity Poker Festivals that feature Texas Hold ‘Em and other festival activities from 20 weeks in 2007 to 46 weeks annually.

Nautica Charity Poker Festivals will be located on the ground floor of the Powerhouse in a 12,000 sq. ft. location. The new location offers added benefits to charities hosting the Festivals and people attending them. Operating costs will be reduced for charities hosting the 4-day Festivals, provide them with more net revenue, and give local charities more weeks from which to select and host a Festival. Charities are expected to earn over $1.5 million of net revenue annually in the year-round location.

Nautica Charity Poker Festivals feature the popular poker game Texas Hold ‘Em played by adults 21 years and older, at up to 20 tables seating up to 10 players each. The four-day Festivals run from Thursday through Sunday. In addition to Texas Hold ‘Em, the Festivals offer tournament Blackjack. They also feature cultural, artistic and craft displays, as well as charity demonstrations and information booths relevant to each charity.

Each Festival is hosted by a qualified charity that receives 100% of the proceeds in the form of hourly seat fees, donations made by patrons, food and beverage concessions and sponsorships.

In 2007, charities averaged $30,000 of net income for each four-day Festival. “That’s significant income coming from a new source instead of traditional fund-raising sources that have had increasing demands placed on them,” noted Carolina Martin, Executive Director of Art on Wheels, a charity hosting Festivals since 2005. Over $1.75 million has been raised for charities since the Nautica Charity Poker Festivals began in 2005.

The Nautica Charity Poker Festivals will begin March 27th with a Festival hosted by Ohio Junior Hockey. Weekend activities include a special Team Cleveland Texas Hold ‘Em tournament on Saturday, March 29th, where players can win a $10,000 seat in the 2008 World Series of Poker. The World Series of Poker is the most prestigious event of the poker year and is considered to be the ultimate achievement in any poker player’s career.

The Festival line-up for 2008 is:
March
27th - 30th Ohio Junior Hockey

April
3rd - 6th Police Athletic League
10th - 14th North Olmsted Hockey
17th - 21st Garfield Heights Boosters
24th - 27th Dominic Konopka Scholarship Fund

May
1st - 4th Spectrum Soccer
8th - 12th Mentor Junior High Schools
15th - 18th Mayfield Wrestling
22nd - 25th CSU Vikings
29th - June 1st Lion’s Eye Clinic Inc.

June
5th - 8th Brooklyn Middle/High School P.T.S.A.
12th - 15th Ohio Junior Hockey
19th - 22nd Art On Wheels, Inc.
26th - 29th Parma Hockey Assn., Inc.

July
3rd Not Scheduled - room dark
10th - 13th Special Olympics Ohio
17th - 20th Lupus Foundation of America - Cleveland
24th - 27th Normandy Invaders Boosters Club
31st - August 3rd Strongsville Boosters

August
7th - 10th Berea High School Athletic Boosters
14th - 17th Mustang Wrestling Club
21st - 24th Elyria Pioneer Club, Inc.
28th - 31st Hilltoppers Girls Athletic Assn

September
4th - 7th Pending application
11th - 14th North Royalton High School Athletic Boosters Club
18th - 21st E.M.S. Rams
25th - 28th Stella Maris

October
2nd - 5th North Royalton Baseball Boosters
9th - 12th The Cleveland Edges Skating Club
16th - 19th Mentor Figure Skating
23rd - 26th Greyhound Adoption of Ohio, Inc.
30th - November 2nd Open

November
6th - 9th Open
13th - 16th Open
20th - 23rd Human Society of Greater Akron
27th Thanksgiving weekend - room dark

December
4th - 7th Open
11th Christmas Break
18th Christmas Break
25th Christmas Break
For more information on charity qualifications and the final calendar
of Festivals visit http://www.NauticaCharityPoker.org.