Cards For A Cause: How Matt Martin's Poker Night Continues To Change Lives
It was another fantastic Matt Martin Foundation Poker Night at Opus Steakhouse, raising over $140,000.
JERICHO, NY -- Since arriving on Long Island as a youngster in 2009, Matt Martin has done everything he can to impact the community.
After making memories for young hockey players during his five-day camp at Northwell Ice Center in early August, it was time for Martin's annual charity poker tournament.
A mix between poker players and spectators, fans got the opportunity of a lifetime to get to know Martin and the team away from the ice.
That included newcomers Anthony Duclair and Maxim Tsyplakov, who made their "fan" debut.
For Martin, seeing his teammates come down means everything.
"It means a lot, especially because it's right before the season," Martin told The Hockey News. "And half the time, I don't even really like to ask the guys or make them feel like they have to come. Most of them text me and say, 'I'll be there.' We have a really good group of guys who want to give back.
"I've been here a long time and kind of started a foundation before most people did. The guys have always really, really supported me. It was another really fun event, and we really enjoyed raising a lot of money."
Alumni Arron Asham, Johnny Boychuk, and Benoit Hogue also attended.
The Poker Night and all of Martin's events aim to raise money for service animals.
They raised over $140,000 on Monday night, with service dog Clyde going to an FDNY captain:
Service dogs change lives.
"I'm a dog lover, and a big supporter of NYPD, military, FDNY, really anyone who could need a service dog," Martin said. "We did one. I think it was the Parkland shooting years ago. We bought the dog for the kid, and I just saw the impact that it had and how cool that was."
The goal is to be able to gift more than one service dog a year.
"People write to the foundation, people who require service dogs. Obviously, we'd love to get everybody a dog," Martin said. "This is something I plan on continuing to grow. I'm still playing, so I can only really get events running in the summer. So there will be a time when I think this foundation will expand, and we'll be able to do more and more dogs and help more and more people, but that's really the focus. You just want to help people. Seeing the impact these dogs can have for someone, it's pretty amazing."
At the event, a company called Deemed Fit raised money for the Tunnel To Towers Foundation. The not-for-profit is run by a local Long Beach police officer who makes and sells hats, T-shirts, and merchandise for such a great cause.
As the night went on, the number of poker tables got smaller and smaller, with the event not coming to a close until well after midnight.
The final Islanders player left at the poker table was Scott Mayfield, with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Casey Cizikas coming in second and third amongst the team.
The winner, Victor Scotto, won a roundtrip airfare to Vegas, three nights at the Fountainbleu Hotel and Casino, two tickets to the Islanders game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, Jan 9, a $500 Visa gift card, and a $200 Uber gift card, along with a signed Matt Martin jersey.
Giving back to the community is just in Martin's DNA, and, as mentioned, he plans to hold more events to make a bigger difference.
"I just wanted to get involved with the community," Martin said, explaining why he started his charity back in 2015. "I think once I started living here full time, the Islanders fans were so gracious towards me and supported not only myself but also the team. I learned a lot from Boomer (Esiason, father-in-law) over the years with his foundation and Clark Gillies going to his events. In fact, we had a lot of guys...Steve Webb as a foundation. Even Lou told me he ran camps for years.
"When I was first trying to figure out how I can give back to the community, we thought the hockey camp would be the best thing. That's the first thing I did. And then we have this event, the Poker Night. There are a few other things as well. When I'm all said and done playing hockey, I'll have more events throughout the year."
I've been present for poker night for the last two years; it's one of those events that means the world to everyone involved.
"This was our 8th poker tournament and our best one yet," foundation director Max Feinberg said. "The service animals that we are able to provide are truly life-saving for the individuals we are able to pair them with, and that would not be possible without the support of Matt’s teammates and friends and, of course, the greatest fans in hockey."
To learn more about the Matt Martin Foundation, head to www.mattmartinhockey.com.