The Ed Asner & Friends Poker Tournament is just around the corner coming up on Sept. 9th, 2017 at the Haworth Showroom in DTLA.  It is shaping up to be a doozy. Why? It could be the growing list of celebrity guests. Confirmed so far are Dylan McDermott, Lou Diamond Philips, Rosie O’Donnell, Eric Roberts, Thomas Gibson, Michael McKean, Elizabeth J. Carlisle, Holly Robinson Peete, Mathew Modine, Randy Rainbow, Sebastian Bach, Patricia Heaton, Greg Grunberg, Ivy Teves, Eric Handler, Maureen McCormick, Roger Cross, Jay Flats, Leyna Nguyen, Mark Thompson and Andy Dick.
It could be that it doesn’t matter if you’re a novice or an expert poker player or whether you win or lose because you’re having fun for a good cause. For those that don’t care to play poker you can still have gaming pleasure from pai-gow poker as long as you know the difference between an ace and a deuce.
It could be that your mouth is watering from the delectable appetizers provided by David’s Catering or the tantalizing aromas from the expresso and dessert bar.
If wine is your thing, it could be the Wine Pull where for $20 you will get a bottle of wine. Among others, the wine you pull could be the 1 of the 6 donated by wineLA.com including their signature BeeKeeper Zin. WineLA hosts the most upscale wine events in the L.A. area and you could bid for one of their Wine tasting classes. A wine class can only be win-win. The friendly Friends of the Vine in Redondo Beach has donated 5 bottles ranging from $25-$55. The wines from Total Wines are all discounted 30%. Winemaker Michelle Lafond from the Santa Barbara Winery and her own Lafond Winery has donated a bottle from each label. DirectCellars.com/AlcoholGSH.com will also be donating bottles.
It could be the hosted AlcoholGSH.com Lounge. Their Brand Ambassadors will not only be serving alcoholic beverages but enlighten you to their proprietary scientific breakthrough supplement which when taken during imbibing will enable you to feel better and be healthier. Their MaxVodka is a healthier cocktail although that may sound like an oxymoron.
It could be that tequila aficionados will be treated to tasting Oro Imperial, the Gold Medal Winner of the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
It could be that 1st place is a stay at the Pumpjack in Palm Springs and 2 round-trip domestic tickets on Southwest Airlines or the Opportunity drawings for a variety of products and services ranging from VIP concert tickets to a $2500 broche. It could be the priceless signed 2010 Championship photo of Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant donated by Dr. Jerry Buss’ lifelong business partner Frank Mariani.
It could be one or more of the above but those are all frills. This event is going to be a doozy because of you. Whether you play poker, attend, donate, or just read this article, you are going to be enriched by learning or being just a little bit more aware of autism and the work of Autism Society.
Winner of 7 prime-time Emmys, Ed Asner told me that autism entered his into life at a later age with a second family. Not knowing what it was caused him misunderstanding, concern, mistrust, anger, and legal battles with his son Charlie’s mother. It wasn’t until his son was 7 before he was diagnosed to be on the Autism Spectrum. We now know that early diagnosis and treatment can lead to much better results for those in the Spectrum.
One day while Ed was driving with his son in the passenger seat, he was pulled over for a traffic infraction. While looking for his license and registration, his son blurted out loudly, “Do you know who this is?” Ed apologized and explained his son was autistic. The officer moved on and he later explained to his son about the appropriateness of remarks. Not every person exhibiting a lack of social skills is autistic but Ed feels it is important to be aware of the characteristics of autism and not to over react but to exercise patience and understanding. Ed admits that patience is not one of his virtues much like life imitating a television character. Watch the video.
You can still sign up at www.playwithEd.com .