Poker tournament in honour of much-loved Leyland man snowballs - with £100k charity donation in sight
“It’s much more than a poker tournament. It’s about friendship, remembering someone who meant a huge amount to a lot of people, and turning that loss into something positive that has brought hundreds of people together over the years.”
A poker tournament that was only ever meant to be a one-off tribute to a much-loved Leyland man is now on the cusp of having raised £100,000 for charity.
KavCup was set up by Rick Gilby in honour of his friend Derek Kavanagh (Kav), who he met on the North West poker scene. When Kav was diagnosed with cancer and given only three months to live, Rick thought it would be a good way to get people together for a last hurrah - while raising money for good causes.
Within five minutes of posting details of the 2015 event, all 200 places in the tournament had sold out. A total of £7,130 was raised on the day.
“It went incredibly well”, said Rick, from Cleveleys. “The next year, against all the odds, Kav was still with us and we held the tournament again, which was a massive success.
“Sadly he was in a hospice by the third year and couldn’t make it - but we’re told the nurses had to practically hold him down to stop him.
“That sums him up really, we have so many funny memories of him. He was a rum’un, a salt-of-the-earth guy who could speak to anyone and had so many friends.”
Kav, who worked in sales and lived in Leyland Lane, died aged 56 in March 2017, but the tournament at Blackpool’s Grosvenor Casino carried on in his name. Despite a brief pause during lockdown, the events have managed to raise £84,648.42 for a range of charities, decided upon every year by Rick and Kav’s wife Janet.
It has grown to the biggest charity poker event in the country. Good causes to benefit include St Catherine’s Hospice, the Sick Children’s Trust, Homeless Hounds, Brian House, Andy’s Man Club and the Carers Trust.
But this year’s tournament will be the last, with Rick looking to bring the curtain down by achieving a £100,000 charity total.
He said: “It takea a lot of work to organise and I wanted to sign-off while it’s still popular. Every year there’s less and less people who knew Kav, and it feels right to end it now, with the £100,000 goal in sight. The most we’ve ever raised in one day was £12,900, so this time we’re hoping to raise £2,500 more than we’ve ever raised before.”
The money will come from registration fees, sponsorship, a raffle and donations from Grosvenor Casino.
This year’s event takes place on October 31 at Blackpool’s Grosvenor Casino. Rick expects to see plenty of familiar faces, with a whole contingent travelling down from Newcastle to take part.
There will also be a special ‘Kav Cocktail’ available to buy - half a Guiness and a shot of sambuca - and music will be playing throughout, which is unusual for a poker tournament.
Rick added: “It’s much more than a poker tournament. It’s about friendship, remembering someone who meant a huge amount to a lot of people, and turning that loss into something positive that has brought hundreds of people together over the years.”