Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Poker Tournament Earns $1.75 Million for Coronavirus Relief

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck‘s star-studded poker game amassed huge funds for charity amid the coronavirus pandemic.

On Saturday, the actors organized an online poker tournament, All in For America’s Charity, in order to raise money for Feeding America, the country’s largest hunger-relief and food rescue organization.

Participants had to donate $10,000 to secure their spot. At the end of the event, they raised around $1.75 million.

Along with Damon and Affleck, celebs like Adam Sandler, Tom Brady, Jason Bateman, Tobey Maguire, Adam Levine, Bryan Cranston, Sarah Silverman, Jon Hamm, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Cheryl Hines, as well as many poker stars competed from the confines of their own home.

The Texas hold ’em tournament, hosted by professional poker commentators Justin Kelly and Michael Loncar, was won by poker pro Ebony Kenney, while actor Kevin Pollak came in second.

Cranston had an impressive showing, finishing in fifth place. Maguire was also among the top celebrity players.

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Excited to announce that I have joined forces with @FeedingAmerica to raise money for folks who need it most. Join me and some familiar faces as we face off in a friendly online poker tournament. Watch live tomorrow from 11am PT. 100% of proceeds benefit Feeding America. pic.twitter.com/im3cuWYsCD

— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) April 10, 2020

RELATED: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler, Tom Brady and More to Team Up for Charity Poker Game

Affleck, 47, wrote on social media one day before the tournament, “Excited to announce that I have joined forces with @FeedingAmerica, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, to raise money for folks who need it most.”

“We’ve already raised over $1 million, with 100% of proceeds benefiting Feeding America. Right now, their work is more critical than ever before so I hope you’ll be able to join us and watch along live using @Twitch tomorrow from 11am PT,” he added.

Since establishing their COVID-19 Response Fund last month, Feeding America has already distributed $112.4 million and over 94 million pounds to food banks throughout the country.

“Last year USDA reported that 37 million people face hunger in America and the Feeding America network of food banks distributed 4.2 billion meals,” Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, said in a press release. “This year, the COVID-19 crisis is driving more of our neighbors into food insecurity and putting a strain on food banks to provide more meals. Never has the charitable food system faced such tremendous challenge, and we need all the resources we can get to help our neighbors during this terrible time.”

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. To help provide doctors and nurses on the front lines with life-saving medical resources, donate to Direct Relief here.

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