February 10th, 2010 – This month Calvin Ayre challenged the iGaming industry to reach into their pockets for Haiti with a pledge to match any donations up to $1,000,000. For further donations please send your receipt and the company you represent to; [email protected] and they will be matched.
Following the biggest week of conferences, awards and parties for the iGaming industry in London (Jan 25th – 30th) which included ICE, The Betting Show, The International Gaming Awards (IGA), the iGB Affiliate Awards and Lyceum Media’s Fire & Ice Party, donations for Haiti have been coming in thick and fast…and the total will be matched by The Calvin Ayre Foundation.
It is no surprise that the biggest donator was from those both at, and watching, the iGB Affiliate Awards – the first industry event to be live-streamed on the internet at CalvinAyre.com. Given the global audience the awards received, with people watching from 16 different countries and a total unique audience of 1,834 people, the night raised £32,500 which will be equally matched. TOTAL £65,000 On Monday 25th January the IGA raised a further £16,600 for Leukemia which will be matched and also dispatched to Oxfam UK’s Haiti Fund. But that’s not all from their members; the IGA year round contribution to their online site was a further £12,800. TOTAL £42,200 Casinomeister.com also merit a special mention as they raised a fantastic £16,000 from all their clients and customers. TOTAL £32,000 Other iGaming industry contributors to date include: GMX.net, KLS Betting, Top Affiliate Publishing ltd, EvolutionGaming.com, ClickBoss.co.uk & Simon Collins. TOTAL £16,116
The grand total including The Calvin Ayre Foundation match raised to date is now at: £155,316 but surely we’re not finished yet?
Calvin Ayre commented: “Its a great start but when Haiti starts to fall off the front pages is when they really need help the most – the country needs a total rebuild and so it’s a problem that will take years and years to heal. We all know the gaming industry is a profitable one so let’s give a little back and if that’s not an incentive then surely costing me $1,000,000 is!“
For more on the foundation go to CalvinAyreFoundation.org or call Calvin Ayre’s Press Office (London) on +44 7825 064776.
About Calvin Ayre:
Calvin Ayre is the founder of the Bodog online gaming and entertainment brand, which he developed and launched in 1994.
As the face of the Bodog brand, Ayre’s notoriety skyrocketed in the mid-2000’s as online gaming’s popularity surged. Ayre’s public profile went mainstream when he was featured as the cover story for Forbes Magazine’s 2006 annual “Billionaires” edition, leading to being featured in People Magazine’s “Hottest Bachelor” list a few months later, and Star Magazine’s “Most Eligible Billionaire Bachelors” list in late 2007.
Ayre received a Bachelor of Sciences (BSc) in General Sciences from the University of Waterloo in 1984, where he played defense for the varsity hockey team. In 1989, Ayre was also awarded an MBA in Management Finance from City University in Seattle, Washington.
In 1994, Ayre sold everything he owned and with $10,000 to his name he assembled his team and launched the original Bodog.
Ayre retains an interest in the brand licensing organization BodogBrand.com, which owns and licenses the Bodog brand to various “brand licensees” in the entertainment sector.
In November, 2009, Ayre launched CalvinAyre.com, a “tabloid blog” or “tablog” targeted at the online gaming industry.
Calvin Ayre Foundation
Founded in 2005, the Calvin Ayre Foundation, headquartered in Antigua, is a private and independent foundation with a charter to do charitable work worldwide. With Ayre as Chairman, the Foundation has pledged millions of dollars and hundreds of hours in support of individuals, communities and charitable organizations throughout the world. Included among those charities are the Fisher House Foundation, the LA Lakers Youth Foundation, the Humane Society, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Animal Avengers Organization, and the Sean McCauley Hope Foundation for Pediatric Cancer. In 2007 the Calvin Ayre Foundation announced a program with the World Society for the Protection of Animals to combat the practice of farming Asian bears for their bile for the Traditional Chinese Medicine market.
The Calvin Ayre Foundation’s own initiatives include the Sponsor a School Project, which provides students living in underdeveloped nations opportunities for a quality education, and the Sponsor a Family Project, which provides financial support for the immediate families of sponsored students.
