
Athletes and TV Stars join together for a good cause during ESPY Week
Los Angeles – GBK, (gbkproductions.com), the luxury lifestyle gift lounge and special events company, honored the 2013 ESPY Awards’ Nominees and other special guests with their GBK Pre-Awards Lounge, hosted at the Andaz Hotel July 16th. GBK’s guests had an opportunity to enjoy a fun-filled day of excellent music, food, poker tournament, charity fundraising and memorable gifts.
Some of the many high-profile name athletes and entertainers that made their way to GBK’s awesome gift lounge were actors Mekhi Phifer and Sean Patrick Flanery, NFL stars Marcedes Lewis (Jacksonville Jaguars), Brian Banks (Atlanta Falcons), Aldon Smith (San Francisco 49ers), Terrell Thomas (New York Giants), and 2012 Olympians Kyla Ross (gold medal, gymnastics) and Eric Shanteau (gold medal, swimming).
GBK’s blend of entertainment, celebrity marketing and charity fundraising consistently sets new standards for the industry and this event was no different. With the help of participating sponsors and generous celebrity guests, all of the poker tournament proceeds were donated to charity.
Celebrities, athletes and professional poker players fought it out with lots of laughs for some top prizes. Poker professional Tim Phan won the tournament; winning a three- night stay at the St. Regis Princeville, as well as an $8000 watch from Jason of Beverly Hills.
The second place winner was Andy Milonakis, who won a Technogel Mattress. Mekhi Phifer got knocked out at the last minute. An amount of $12.000 was raised for the Model Citizen Fund, and Ike’s Love and Sandwiches gave a $1.000 donation in the name of Roger Cross to the Mama Sarah Obama Foundation for coming in 4th place.

Interestingly enough, none of the athletes showed their athletic skills off, as none reached the Final Table of the poker tournament. Even ex-MLB slugger Jose Conseco, who prides himself as being “pretty darn good at Holdem,” got knocked out.
This year’s lounge featured a variety of youthful, trend-setting products in the sports and athletic apparel categories such as SKLZ, the industry leader in athletic performance and sports skill development products, gifted The Gold Flex warm-up and The SKLZ Pro Mini Hoop.
Dazadi.com gifted a $250 gift card to shop top brands in sports equipment, home court, home gym and game rooms; The Marena Group, gifted Athletics8 TM, the most comfortable, high-performance athletic compression apparel on the market.
Fruit of the Loom made their presence felt, gifting t-shirts from two of their new lines: the Big & Tall Collection and the BEST collection. The JH Design Group, gifted NBA, NASCAR and MLB licensed jackets/hoodies , while Nutrition53, a multifaceted nutrition company founded by Bill Romanowski, gifted Lean1 and Vegan1.
Ever-evolving technology brought us fantastic sponsors and gifts, including Negris LeBrum Clothing Co., who gifted their beautifully styled wireless MP3 headphones; iLinks, who manufactures and sells smart golf clubs which allow the user to view the flight of their ball on a smart phone app.
Of course, technology is all the rage now. Celebrities and athletes were introduced to a technological device that can keep them occupied with the use of their mobile devices. MHL, new technology which allows you to work from any location, play mobile games with no lag, and stream TV or movies in HD, got the gift lounge attendees excited.
Technogel Sleeping was a big hit celebrities and athletes alike. Gifting exclusive memory foam based pillows made with a unique patented gel layer, providing comfort and ergonomic support, Technogel Sleeping was the buzz of the gift lounge.

A true highlight of the lounge was Sparkling Hill Resort, a European-inspired wellness resort known as the first resort in the world to incorporate Swarovski crystal elements into every aspect of its design. Guests received a Couples Escape in a stunning penthouse suite.
Jewelry and accessories resumed their place as a must have at any GBK Lounge.
The lounge featured sponsors such as: Jason of Beverly Hills, gifted $700 gifts; Bands for Arms, gifted handmade bracelets made from donated military uniforms from all military branches; Fly Watches, gifted a fun and colorful interchangeable LED watch; and Wild Soul Sunglasses, gifted beautiful Acetate Sunglasses named after untamed wild animals.
Before guests left for the day, they stopped by Miracle Details, an upper echelon mobile and convenient detail service, to pick up their vehicle after receiving a V.I.P. car detail valued at $350 – not only a crowd pleaser, but also the perfect touch to this celebratory event.
As always, GBK featured an array of charitable organizations, including The Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation, which donates money and services on a need based scale to organizations all over Los Angeles County and provides disaster relief in California and the United States.
The Model Citizen Fund, which distributes life-sustaining backpacks filled with 150 items that include food, health, and survival essentials to the homeless and disaster victims, gives people the tools and confidence to build/rebuild their lives.
Additional charity beneficiaries included The Mama Sarah Obama Foundation, a charitable nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the education and welfare of disenfranchised children in order to help them successfully achieve their goals and have a better future.
Also part of the gift lounge was The Giving Back Fund (GBF), a nonprofit organization that provides philanthropic consulting, management, administrative services, and program development to individuals and corporations.
Celebrities and media were greeted by the sounds of the 10-year-old DJ phenomenon: DJ BABYCHINO, the world’s youngest DJ. Ike’s Love & Sandwiches LLC, which will be hitting the Southern California market soon, was a huge hit amongst guests. Attendees were also able to snack on healthy chips by Bare Snacks, or grab a taco from Jalisco’s Mobile Taco Grill, while enjoying drinks from Chambord Premium Spirits.
For more information about The Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation,
please visit: www.nba.com/lakers/community/foundation.html
For more information about The Giving Back Fund, please visit: www.givingback.org
For more information about The Mama Sarah Obama Foundation, please visit: www.msof.org
For more information about The Model Citizen Fund, please visit: www.ModelCitizenFund.org

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