South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Kolter | Kast Havana Nights Charity Poker event raises $1.5 million.
For one night, their hearts were in Havana … ooh na-na.
The 2019 Kolter|Kast Havana Nights Charity Poker event saw 150 business leaders and corporate executives come out to the Cathedral Room at the Boca Raton Resort & Club to support the Achievement Centers for Children & Families and 16 nonprofit partners.
The high-stakes poker tournament presented by Kolter|Kast Construction raised over $1.5 million for the 17 charities with a Cuban-themed evening featuring a cocktail reception, professional poker tournament, gourmet dinner stations and drinks, among other activities.
The “Wild Card” sponsor was All American Windows and “Royal Flush” sponsors were Gunster Law Firm, Pipeline Utilities, CIBC Bank and Construction Trade Partners.
“I came up with the concept in 2012 because I was sensing that people were getting tired of all the black-tie galas and we wanted to do something memorable, so we created a charity poker tournament and made it spectacular,” Bobby Julien, CEO of Kolter Group and longtime supporter of Achievement Centers for Children and Families, said in a statement. “The real pay-off comes when we get to see the charitable results from what we raised.”
The Delray Beach-based Achievement Centers is a “community based, familyfocused organization dedicated to providing opportunities where under-resourced children may thrive in a positive environment,” according to its website.
“The level of sponsor support for this year’s event completely exceeded our hopes. Collectively, from small business owners to large corporations, the impact the sponsors have made in our area is significant,” Stephanie Seibel, CEO of Achievement Centers for Children & Families, said in a statement. “The vision for this event truly comes from the leadership at Kolter|Kast Construction. Their commitment to making a difference in the community is evident not only by underwriting the entire event but through the efforts they and their teams put into raising sponsorship funds.”
Other charities that will benefit from the event are American Heart Association, Boy Scouts of America, Children’s Cancer Center of Tampa, Creative Enterprises, Habitat for Humanity, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Operation 300, Panama City Rescue Mission, Place of Hope, Quantum House, Renewal Coalition, Rice N Beans, The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County, The Neighborhood Center of West Volusia and Trustbridge Hospice Foundation.
“We were honored to play a role in this incredible event that benefited so many important nonprofits. Our business deals with building strong foundations, so it’s wonderful to support organizations that are building strong charity foundations,” Michael Neal, president of Kast Construction Company, said in a statement.