Team PokerStars Pro Liv Boeree is a special case. When she heard about the Race for Life to raise money for Cancer Research UK, she immediately dedicated herself to a training regimen as she wanted to run her Race for Life. She's not only inspired, but she's quite physically fit and is no stranger to exercise. Just look at her.
Liv also has a rather busy schedule, so she is relying on her previous running experiences and the practice she can fit in. "My training has been much briefer than I'd like it to have been!" she confessed. "I've just tried to squeeze in a quick run when I can. That said, I ran 7km the other day, and it wasn't too bad, so I'm feeling quietly confident I'll make it round."
Why do this at all? It's simple for Liv. "I have lost a few family members to cancer, sadly - three of my grandparents. My remaining grandma is a breast cancer survivor, so it's very important to carry on the great work Cancer Research UK is doing."
Most of us are touched by cancer in some way, whether in our own lives or those of family and friends. Let's be honest; cancer is rude, ugly, and everywhere, and there isn't a one of us who doesn't want to get rid of it. Cancer Research UK feels the same way, and it raises money to fight and find cures for more than 200 types of cancer. The progress of this organization is amazing and will continue on until cures are found.
Who doesn't want to help this cause? We all do, so there are still several ways that we can contribute, all thanks to the generosity of Cancer Research UK, Liv Boeree, and The Rational Group's Helping Hands program.
1. Donate to Liv's JustGiving page. She would like to raise £10,000 for the cause, and she could use some additional donations to get there!
2. Support Liv on June 1. She will be running her Race for Life in London that day, and you can tweet your support to her @Liv_Boeree.
3. Play in Liv's $5+$5 Race for Life tournament on June 1 on PokerStars. She will be playing after she runs her physical race earlier that day. The tourney (#740027176) will take place at 15:00 ET (20:00 GMT) and is listed in the Tourney > Special lobby as "Liv Boeree's Race for Life tournament."
4. Play our week of Race for Life tournaments in aid of Cancer Research UK. The tournaments will be listed in the Tourney > All lobby as " Race for Life," and they run from June 2 to June 9. Each one supports the cause with half the buy-in going to Cancer Research UK, and each has $100 added to the prize pool to give a little extra to the participants. All of the information is here.
5. Play in our freeroll! PokerStars will donate $1 to Cancer Research UK for every player in the tournament, which is reserved for women and has a capacity of 3,000 players. Women can sign up for the June 2 freeroll (#740027198), play for free, win prizes for making the final table, and win an iPad 2 for winning the tournament! The freeroll is for the PokerStars Women community. Follow our Twitter or Facebook accounts for more details.
Liv was rather moved by the freeroll idea from PokerStars: "I am so touched by PokerStars' freeroll charity tournament to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Make sure you come in and join the fun on Saturday!"
Now, watch this video, and tell us that you're not inspired!
As Liv reminds us, "If you can't race, you can still support others by doing your own money-raising schemes, or just by supporting your friends who are running by donating to their pages."
Cheers to all who are running, playing poker, donating, or even thinking about how you can help!
Jennifer Newell is a PokerStars freelance contributor.