Luck Helps When You're "Taking It Off"

As you clean out your closet to gather some clothing donations for the "Taking It Off For Charity" Poker Tournament, it couldn't hurt to dig out those lucky socks or that lucky pair of underwear to wear tonight.

At its core, poker is a game of logic and skill. Players make rational, well-informed decisions based on the rules of probability. But even the most talented poker players recognize that there's more to the game than just numbers.

Phil Hellmuth Jr., an 11 time World Series of Poker winner made even more famous by his attitude at the table, said, "I guess if there weren't luck involved, I'd win every time."

Maybe he was just bitter about a losing streak, or maybe he was on to something...

We're trying to give you all the help that we can, so before you get ready to take it off, consider these poker superstitions that might make or break your game:

Don't start the game off on the wrong foot by picking up your cards before the dealer is finished dealing to all of the active players. It makes sense - if the other players don't yet have cards to look at, they'll be looking at you and judging your reaction.

Unfortunately for you lefties out there, doing things with the left hand always seems to be wrong for some reason or another. In poker, some people believe it's bad luck to pick up your cards with your left hand. It may seem silly, but do you really want to risk it?

It's considered a bad sign if you accidentally drop a card while playing. Other than people possibly getting a glimpse of your goods, it shows a lack of concentration and losing concentration in poker doesn't usually lead to a win.

For good luck, touch your favorite card before playing starts.  Bring your lucky charms, too, because you'll be playing against the contest winners Kimberly Wootton, Nicole Vassilatos, Chastity Marylee, Monica Lopez and Natalia Rodriguez, who won free VIP passes (so we already know that they're pretty lucky)!

You'll be helping the wonderful people at St. Francis House, so you really shouldn't fret too much if Lady Luck isn't on your side. After all, "unlucky in poker, lucky in love," right? And Valentine's Day is just around the corner...

State of the Pledge 5 Union

Hey Pledge 5-ers!

Hope everyone is ready for our Annual Taking It off for Charity Poker Tournament on Friday! We have a feeling everyone is going to walk away hitting the karma jackpot! And as you all know, the Gainesville community and our sponsors have been very generous with the prizes and goodies we'll be giving out at the event. Don't forget that you can still get tickets from any of the Pledge 5 interns or the Pledge 5 office.

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."  ~Anne Frank


 
Let's start now! There's other needs right here in our very own backyard that we need to address.
 February is coming up soon. You know what that means: they are always there for us, without questioning our actions or quirks. They love us unconditionally. And how about that never-failing greeting at the door when we come home from work? For one day next month, we all get to show our love ones just how much we adore and care about them.And we're not talking about your valentines!

We know you love your pets. But there's many animals that need some of that affection that they've never had. Pledge 5 Foundation is teaming up with Gainesville Pet Rescue for a 5K-9 and Adoptathon on February 26th at Kanapaha Park. Bring home a furry friend and raise money for Gainesville Pet Rescue; every donation goes towards maintaining a healthy and happy life for animals that don't have homes.

So get fit and get ready party in February with Pledge 5 Foundation!

Other service events/ charity work to get involved with this weekend around town:

- UF students are collaborating to raise funds and bring in donations for flood victims in Brazil. Enjoy good food and fun at this event on Sunday. Details are on BRASA's facebook page.

 - LifeSouth still needs your help to save lives. How about donating some blood this weekend? It only takes about an hour and it does a lot of good. Here's Pledge 5 intern and Graphics guru, David Armas, pledgin' in the bloodmobile before donating:

 

Find other volunteer opportunities through http://www.sweatmonkey.org/

Pledge with us to create a better community, one cause at a time!

Texas Hold'em 101

We hope you're excited for the second annual “Taking It Off for Charity” Poker Tournament on Friday!  To give you the best chance of staying [at least] partially-clothed, read the rules of Texas Hold'em below!

• First of all, you need at least two players, a 52-card deck and poker chips or cash if you’re gambling.
• You start by designating a dealer who will shuffle the cards and deal two cards (clockwise) to each player.
• The person to the left of the dealer goes first.  Once each person has their cards they can either bet or fold. (Once a player folds they are done with the game.)
• The dealer then places one card face side down and three cards face side up in the center of the table; this is called the flop.  After this is done, the remaining players can decide to bet or fold.
• The dealer continues by placing another card face side down and another face side up; this is called the turn.  Another round of betting or folding.
• The dealer places another card face side down and another face side up; this is called the river.  This is the last round of betting or folding. The person who calls the last bet (the highest amount) shows their hand first, and then the remaining players show their hands (still continuing clockwise).
• The winning hand is the highest five cards, using at least one from your own hand and the rest from the community cards (also called the pot).

Hopefully that wasn’t too confusing!  Now, if you don’t know much about playing poker, then you may not know the different five-card poker hands.

Ranked from best to worst:

• Royal Straight Flush: 10, J, Q, K, A (all of the same suit)
• Straight Flush: five cards of the same suit, in order (example: 9, 10, J, Q, K of hearts)
• Four of a Kind: four of the same card (example: 3, 3, 3, 3)
• Full House: three of a kind and a pair (example: Q, Q, Q, 9, 9)
• Flush: five cards of the same suit, but not necessarily in order (example: all hearts)
• Straight: a sequence of five cards, but not all the same suit (example: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
• Three of a Kind: three cards of the same number or rank (example: 5, 5, 5 or A, A, A)
• Two Pair: two pairs of cards of the same number or rank (example: 7, 7, 2, 2)

It may sound a bit confusing, but once you get started, you’ll get the hang of the game in no time!

Here are a couple of photos from last year's "Taking It Off For Charity" Poker Tournament (and yes, the Hooters girls will be playing this year as well!):

Some of our old interns at last year's Poker Tournament

The lovely Hooters girls at "Taking It Off for Charity" Poker Tournament 2010

Paul & Breanne practicing their poker faces in the Pledge 5 office

Other than that, we’d like to remind you that we’ll have more contests between now and this Friday for chances to win free VIP tickets to the tournament so keep checking our Facebook profile and Twitter!

Pledge 5 Clothing Drive benefiting St. Francis House

Anyone’s life can take a turn for the worst when you lose the most basic necessities due to sickness, unemployment or other extenuating circumstances. Homelessness is a problem, and not just in urban locations.  In January 2010,  the Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry counted 1,292 people in the homeless population.  A year later, the homeless and displaced population of Gainesville still needs all the help it can get.  

St. Francis House is the only homeless shelter in town. You can read about their large role in providing help to our community here.

What can WE do?
Well, there’s a lot we can do. This month, Pledge 5 Foundation asks you to join the cause and pledge to donate gently-used clothing to the St. Francis House. There are boxes set up all around town for your donating convenience!

Not only will you help someone out by keeping them warm during these winter months, but donating clothing items such as suits and shoes can give an unemployed person the confidence to interview for a job and get them one step closer to leading a self-sufficient lifestyle. A small deed like cleaning out your closet can make a big difference. 

St. Francis House doesn’t just help clothe the city’s homeless. It’s also a soup kitchen. Contact Jared Salter, the volunteer coordinator at (352) 378-9079 ext. 317 to see how you can be a server.
Then, put all your bets on us! Donate your clothing and play with us at the “Taking It off for Charity” Poker Tournament on January 28. See you there!

Mixin' & Minglin', MUBbin' & Scrubbin', Prankin' & Poker Playin'!

We’ve had a very busy week here at Pledge 5 Foundation, but we’ve also had a lot of fun!  In addition to preparing for our second annual “Taking It Off For Charity” Poker Tournament, we also held our Pledge 5 Community Mixer, which took place on Wednesday night at Sharab Lounge.   Our new interns got to “mix and mingle,” Pledge 5 Gators brought new spring recruits, and various community members who support Pledge 5 Foundation came out to hear about the exciting events and drives we have coming up this season!

Several members of Pledge 5 Foundation and Pledge 5 Gators went to the University of Florida last Friday to clean the music building for our first Pledge 5 public service event, the “MUB Scrub.”  After the event, a few of our interns participated in the Dorm Prank contest sponsored by ApartmentsInGainesville.com.  They started in Beaty Towers, blocking the entrance to the dorm by pretending that they were frozen.  Because they were “frozen in time,” as they described it, some of the residents had a difficult and very awkward time trying to get into the building.  To finish off the night, they sang a song about Pledge 5 in the elevator and to a confused Beaty resident. Check out the videos here and here!

 MUB Scrub

We’re also starting a campaign called “Stock Our Office!”  As you know, Pledge 5 Foundation is a nonprofit organization that promotes public service through events, charity drives and other community initiatives.  Unfortunately, our office is lacking a lot of materials and equipment that we really need!  So we’re offering logo placement on marketing material, promotional opportunities at our events and online marketing opportunities to those who wish to contribute.  Our current “Wish List” includes office supplies, chairs, a desk, a couch, a water cooler, lamps, an area rug, wall art, plants, etc.  If you’re interested in donating any of these materials (or anything else you can think of!) please contact Pledge 5 Foundation Director Ben Fox at (352) 577-8667 or ben@pledge5.org.

By the way, our “Taking It Off For Charity” Poker Tournament is in just two weeks, so practice your pa-pa-pa poker face!  And make sure you follow us on Twitter and Facebook because we’ve got some fun contests coming your way to win free VIP tickets!

Build a Stronger Community with Pledge 5 in 2011

As we all ease into the New Year, we strive to keep our resolutions alive. Pledge 5 Foundation wants to help you keep your community service goals by making a difference in the community.

We are starting the semester off with a chance to do some spring cleaning. Clean out your closet and donate your gently-used clothing to those who need it most. We all know January can get surprisingly cold here in Gainesville; imagine not having a way to keep warm during these winter months! The drive will be held through January 31st and will benefit the St. Francis House. Boxes for clothing collection can be found at all of the apartments listed on www.apartmentsingainesville.com.

Try your luck this year by participating in the “Taking It Off For Charity” Poker Tournament on January 28th at The Vault in downtown Gainesville! Entry is free, and a $20 donation can get you the whole experience: VIP band access, food and beer from Hooters from 7-10 pm, and chances to win thousands in prizes. Get $5 off by donating your gently-used clothes at the door. Doors open at 6:30, tables will be open until midnight.

Did You Know?

January is National Blood Donor Month! One pint of blood can save up to three lives. Someone needs blood every two seconds. About an hour of your time can help them. LifeSouth Community Blood Centers hosts blood drives throughout the year at their donation centers and seasonally on campus. If you see a bloodmobile around campus, stop by and see if you are eligible to help!

We have some great events planned for the semester. Keep checking our Facebook page and our Twitter @Pledge5 for more updates.

Let’s create change in 2011!

Pledge 5 Foundation Welcomes Our Spring 2011 Interns!

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. It's the only thing that ever has." 
-Margaret Mead-

Adriana Ruiz         

Hometown: Miami/Mexico

Major: Public Relations

Adriana is excited to meet amazing people and to learn to plan events.

Random Fact: She carved her name in the Eiffel Tower!

 

Alyson Landry

Hometown: Tampa

Major: Photojournalism 

Alyson is excited about working with a nonprofit and understanding Gainesville through a community service lens!

Random Fact: She has an extra bone in her foot!

Becca Greenwood

Hometown: Lake Mary, FL

Major: Public Relations

Becca is excited to get some hands-on experience in the field while working with a passionate and motivated group for an awesome cause.

Random Fact: She plans to study abroad in Spain, and hopes to be able to speak Spanish fluently when she comes back!

 

Breanne Brock

Hometown: Winter Springs, FL

Major: Advertising

Breanne is excited knowing that the work we will be doing is for charitable events and we will

hopefully be improving other peoples’ lives.

Random Fact: She has been a vegetarian for almost two years.

 

Carine Nguyen

Hometown: Longwood, FL

Major: Telecommunication-Production

Carine is really excited to gain friends with a common passion in community service while gaining more experience in editing/creating videos.

Random Fact: She is a huge history buff and enjoys reading books and watching documentaries or movies based on history.

Caroline Vickers

Hometown: Madison, FL

Major: History

Caroline is excited to be working with motivated individuals who all want to give back to the Gainesville community.

Random Fact: She has grey hair and her hometown has a population of 3,000.

Daniela Guzman

Hometown: Weston/Colombia

Major: Journalism

Daniela believes this internship program is a great opportunity to meet other people who share an innate passion for service. She is excited to come up with new ideas and to put them to action, working together for a greater cause.

Random Fact: She danced ballet for 12 years.

 

David Armas

Hometown: Gainesville

Major: Advertising & Marketing

David is excited to get to use his creativity to promote Pledge 5 events and work with a fun, committed team.

Random Fact: He has traveled to 10 countries within the past four years.

 

Dina Lewis

Hometown: Miami

Major: Telecommunications

Dina is excited about the experience that she will gain from working with equally driven and passionate people and the many internal lessons she will learn from them.

Random Fact: Dina has a fascination for Ghost hunting. So far, she has ghost hunted with her dad and brother in Key West and St. Augustine. Next up is Savannah, GA!

Karina Gonzalez        

Hometown: Miami/Colombia

Major: Photojournalism

Karina is excited to learn about other aspects of media, promotions and event coordinating as well as practicing and improving her media skills.

Random Fact: She hates celery. 

 

Katerina Sardi        

Hometown: Miami

Major: Telecommunications 

Katerina is excited about doing good for the community through this internship, as well as meeting new people with the same interests as her.

Random Fact: She is usually very quiet at first, but she open up after a while.

Kelsey Grentzer

Hometown: Palm Harbor, FL

Major: Journalism

Kelsey is excited about the opportunity to help the community through her interest and skills in photography.

Random Fact: Her biggest aspiration is to travel the world, and she hopes to eventually work and travel as a photojournalist for a magazine like National Geographic. 

Kiersten Campos-Van Zant

Hometown: Panama City Beach

Major: Tourism, Recreation, and Sport Management (specializing in Recreation and Event Management)

Kiersten says that the work that goes behind every type of event fascinates her, and she is very excited to experience the overall exposure to such an assortment of events and the background work.

Random Fact: Kiersten calls herself an Air Force brat. Growing up, her family moved often, so she has never lived somewhere longer than six years. Her family has been stationed in New Mexico, Italy and Florida.

Maria Galindo

Hometown: Boca Raton/Colombia

Major: Public Relations

Maria is excited to work with a comfortable group of people and learn the basics of public relations with hands-on experience. 

Random Fact: She can only remember her dreams in North Carolina!

Natalia Rodriguez

Hometown: Daytona Beach/Colombia

Major: Public Relations

Natalia is definitely looking forward to working with everyone at Pledge 5 and learning from other interns along with the staff.

Random Fact: When she first moved to the United States, the only words she could say were: chicken, I don’t know, yes, no and french fries.

Natalie Arenal        

Hometown: Pembroke Pines

Major: Telecommunications 

Natalie is excited about working as a group to help better the Gainesville community, and feeling like she has accomplished something.

Random Fact: She is obsessed with fish, and has two fish tanks in her room!

Paul Flagg

Hometown: New Port Richey

Major: Public Relations

Paul is most excited to learn a lot about PR, and to make an impact in peoples' lives. 

Random Fact: Christmas is Paul's favorite holiday! He has two

Christmas trees in his living room!

Sonya Matejko 

Hometown: Tampa

Major: Advertising

Sonya is excited to contribute to the community through beneficial events while gaining real internship experience from it.

Random Fact: She is extremely clumsy. She ran into a wall and bruised her cheek recently. "We’ll have to work on that," she says.