Lacey Jones is a model, a television show host and a professional poker player.
But what sets her apart from all the other female pro poker players in the world aside from her drop dead gorgeous looks is her sincere love for the Philippines, more particularly, the people of Tacloban.
“I just can’t forget the damage I saw on television that day,” Jones told the Inquirer over the weekend during the formal launch of the first-ever World Poker Tour event in the Philippines that starts Thursday at Solaire in Pasay.
“No one deserves to suffer the way they did and the way they do now,” said Jones, who saw what happened while she was in China last year for a WPT event as the coverage of the onslaught of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” was carried by most international news channels.
“From that day, I told myself that I will help the people of Tacloban in whichever way I can. All they have to do is ask,” added Jones, a 35-year-old who got into poker playing with family after a serious knee injury kept her from pursuing a professional career in volleyball.
“They could use either my voice or my presence (for the relief efforts). I would be happy to help out.”
Jones is one of a huge number of international poker pros expected to participate in the WPT event, which is expected to raise a pot of more or less $800,000 that would make for a champion’s purse of more than $300,000.
More than 100 Filipinos have so far entered the event, which has a buy-in of $2,200 (around P97,000).
Jones, together with Daniel Cates, will take part in today’s celebrity event where all proceeds will go to the continuing relief efforts for Yolanda’s victims.
And to show that she really cares for those affected, Jones said that a certain percentage of her winnings in the big event will be donated to Yolanda victims.
“I just can’t stand seeing those people still living in tents,” she said. “The first time I saw it on TV, I immediately donated some of my clothes. I want to do more this time.”