Supermodel Helena Houdova & Roberta Armani Host 2nd Annual Sunflower Children Poker Benefit

NEW YORK, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, November 21, 2008, at Gotham Hall in New York City, Sunflower Children Founder/Supermodel Helena Houdova and socialite Roberta Armani, host the 2nd annual Sunflower Children Poker fundraiser. Russell Simmons joins as co-host, while Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps, Poker Pro Lee Childs, model Lane Carlson, actors Michael Kelly "Changeling," Ben Bailey "Cash Cab," Ana Ortiz "Ugly Betty," Mark Indelico "Ugly Betty," Malinda Williams "First Sunday" and David Zayas "Dexter" are just a few celebrity players who will ante up to help raise funds to educate at-risk children around the world.

Sunflower Children is a young, innovative, humanitarian organization providing survival and development care for the forgotten children of the world through its global "Obama-like" network of passionate virtual volunteers. Sunflower Children volunteers sponsor medical, nutritional, psychological, educational and other development support that nurtures survival, health, growth and hope for orphaned, disabled, abandoned, refugee and impoverished children.

Since its inception in 2004, Sunflower Children volunteers have sponsored 22 successful projects in 16 countries. From supporting safe educational and social environments for kids living in Brazil's favela ghettoes; to giving ostracized, HIV-positive orphans in Cambodia the opportunity to live, learn and grow; to funding the renovation of a center for mentally-challenged and handicapped children in South Africa to protect them from sexual predators, Sunflower Children volunteers empower at-risk children with safe environments to grow physically, mentally, and psychologically, into healthy, educated, self-sustaining, contributing members of their communities.

Sunflower Children volunteers believe that education is the key to empowerment and, thus, provide vital support including healthcare, nutritional and basic needs that enable Sunflower's children to pursue educational and personal growth. Sunflower Children volunteers work to change the world one child, one school, one community at a time. Sunflower Children volunteers support all children regardless of religion, gender, race, ethnicity or politics.

The Sunflower Children Poker benefit supports the financial needs of these desperately needed projects as well as the start-up of volunteer initiatives. 100% of all public donations directly benefit the children. Helena Houdova, President and Founder of Sunflower Children states, "Fun in the name of compassion is what this event is all about." She adds, "I am grateful to have volunteers around the world and friends in influential positions who are as passionate as I am about empowering our disadvantaged children."

Visit http://www.SunflowerChildren.org.