Triton Million London: 15+ Charities to Share $2.7m as The Distribution Plan is Released

Boeing created the first “Jumbo Jet” in the late 60s, and since the first commercial flight in 1970, more than 3.5 billion people have traversed the sky on these mechanical whales. If you were ever to receive a jumbo jet as a birthday gift and wanted to paint it your favourite colour, it would take more than 90 gallons of paint. Fill the bellies of seven of them with children, and you’re looking at the death toll caused by malaria, daily.

Triton Million London made history in August when 54 poker lovers paid £1,050,000 to compete in the biggest buy-in poker tournament, ever. Aaron Tsang defeated Bryn Kenney, heads-up, to take the title, and £13.7m. Kenney collected £16.9m, after agreeing upon a deal with Tsang, deposing Justin Bonomo at the top of the All-Time Money List.

When Triton’s co-founders, Paul Phua and Richard Yong, considered hosting a £1m buy-in event, “CHARITY” was the first sticky note to land on the brainstorming whiteboard. A £50,000 registration fee would go to charity benefiting the likes of The One Drop Foundation, Healthy HK, and the organisation that first educated the poker community on the seven jumbo jets full of malaria-ridden children: Raising for Effective Giving (REG).

Do the math – that’s $2.7m.

The mosquitos are in trouble.

“We feel delighted and honoured to have raised £2.7m for charity,” said Paul Phua. “Now, as we prepare to disburse the funds, we also feel a sense of achievement, and hope to do more next year.”

So, who’s getting what?

Raising for Effective Giving (REG) – £659,000

 

The lion share of the $2.7m goes to REG, and the final number will be much higher with several members of the event donating a percentage of their winnings to the poker-centric charity. For example, REG co-founder Igor Kurganov competed in Triton Million and promised to give 10% of his winnings to REG, only to finish on the stone-cold bubble. Fortunately, for Kurganov, REG and their recipients, Kurganov’s vanquisher, Bill Perkins, promised to donate 10% of his winnings to REG before going on to cash in the sixth-pace for £2.2m.

However, from there REG then distributes most of the £659k to affiliate charities, with Against Malaria Foundation, Forethought Foundation and IPEN receiving £211,333 each.

REG uses evidence and rationality to have the most significant impact on philanthropy, and have helped shift $11m from daily life to the fate of the world present and future.

REG themselves kept £25k to help their causes.

The One Drop Foundation – £405,000

 

No charitable organisation has benefited more from poker than the One Drop Foundation. The One Drop became synonymous with the $1m buy-in when in 2012, the founder, Guy Laliberte, teamed up with the Word Series of Poker (WSOP) to host the first-ever $1m buy-in event. Antonio Esfandiari, beat Sam Trickett, heads-up, to win the $18.3m first prize.

The One Drop Foundation’s mission is to ensure that as many people as possible gain access to safe water and sanitation, particularly the most vulnerable communities, globally. To date, the One Drop has improved the living conditions for more than 1.6m people across 13 countries.

Caritas Macau – £106,000

If it weren’t for Macau, Triton wouldn’t exist. It was, after all, the battleground for so much high stakes action.

Caritas Macau is the brainchild of Fr. Luis Suarez, a Portuguese native who arrived in Macau in the early 1950s. The charity’s purpose has evolved over the years, but more recently, it focuses on providing support to families and communities that have fallen on hard times.

Taiwan Osteosarcoma Caring Association (We Care Taiwan) – £200,000

Osteosarcoma is a rare form of bone cancer that leaves little chance for survival. The money donated to the Taiwan Osteosarcoma Caring Association will help raise awareness of the disease so doctors can provide early diagnosis. The charity also provides care and assistance, for the families suffering through the experience.

Malaysian Red Crescent – £325,000

The Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) is the Malaysian arm of the International Red Cross and the Red Crescent Movement and consists of more than 20,000 volunteers throughout the region. The charity’s mission statement is: “To prevent and reduce suffering, wherever it may be.” A big part of the charity’s mission is to attract young humanitarians into the fold, and they have more than 200,000 people aged between 10-30 involved with the charity.

Part of the MRCS, the Miri Kidney Dialysis Centre itself is receiving £200,000 of the donation, with the facility praised for their resounding success in helping hundreds of patients over the last 23 years.

Soi Ian Association – £212,000

The Soi Ian Association from Macau is a non-profit organization, with funds raised used to care for the disadvantaged, promoting the spirit of kindness, fraternity, and selfless dedication. By actively participating in and organizing charitable activities, Soi Ian helps promote charity work in a planned way, benefiting more people and contributing more effectively to society.

Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society (SCCS) – £125,000

The Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society (SCCS) focuses its aid on children living with cancer. Their mantra is ‘Go, Bald,’ and the first official head-shaving occurred in 2009 as a way of showing the children they are not alone. Triton’s donation helps to buy starter kits for the newly diagnosed children, create buddy programs, and to fulfil dreams through the charity’s ‘Wishing Star’ project.

Caring For Children Foundation – £106,000

For more than two decades, The Caring for Children Foundation has helped improve the lives of more than 160,000 Chinese youths. Triton’s donation will help fuel educational and rehabilitation programmes for children with disabilities. Also, it will help find homes for orphaned children, and provide aid for natural disasters that occur in the region.

Credit World One Charity Foundation – £106,000

The Credit World One Charity Foundation also provides support to children who have fallen on hard times with a specific focus on children aged between 3 and 15. The charity believes that ‘every child is unique and special, and deserves opportunities to change the world.’ It helps by providing educational support. The charity also has a disaster relief program, and foster care program.

Healthy Hong Kong – £106,000

Formed in 2015, Healthy Hong Kong is a relatively new philanthropic endeavour focusing on providing medicine and other services to people based in Hong Kong. So far, they have provided aid for more than 45,000 people, with a focus on the elderly and people suffering extreme poverty.

Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis – £150,000

Based in London, OMS aims to inform, educate and empower the estimated 2.5 million people in the world who live with M.S. The disease, which affects the body’s central nervous system, can cause life-changing symptoms like extreme fatigue, numbness, tingling, tremors, slurred speech and loss of balance and muscle co-ordination, loss of vision and, in the worst case, paralysis.

There is currently no cure, but OMS aims to help people with the disease not spend the rest of their lives as a hostage to their condition.

Bahamas Hurricane – £100,000

Not only established charitable foundations benefit from Triton Million London. The Bahamas has a special place in the heart of the poker community. The Atlantis Resort has been the home of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure taking since 2005. More recently, partypoker’s MILLIONS World found a home in the Baha Mar Resort. The future of these events is in jeopardy. Hurricane Dorian has trashed the small Carribean island killing 45 people. With thousands still missing, the death toll is expected to rise. £100,000 of the money raised from Triton Million London goes towards the rehabilitation program that’s currently in situ.

The people who made history by competing in Triton Million London could have bought seven jumbo jets. Instead, they helped make sure we never see jumbo jet metaphors used to count our dead children, ever again.