SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- WPT® Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, the most popular poker brand in the world now available on the Facebook Platform as a free-to-play game developed by FunClick, today announced the launch of a two-week Chips for Charity promotion to benefit the National MS Society and MS Hope for a Cure. Through Chips for Charity, FunClick, a social gaming company dedicated to the creation of free original and branded social games, provides fans of WPT® Texas Hold ‘Em Poker on Facebook with the opportunity to buy premium chips to help raise money and awareness in support of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.

WPT Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Facebook players are encouraged to buy special $5 Chips for Charity packages. 100% of proceeds will be donated to the National MS Society and MS Hope for a Cure. Every contributing player will instantly receive 75,000 game chips into his or her account. If proceeds reach in excess of $50,000 during the promotional period, all players will receive a special gift for their avatar profile to further encourage donations and increase awareness of World Multiple Sclerosis Day on May 26.

“We salute the efforts of the National MS Society and MS Hope for a Cure and are therefore very proud to encourage charitable poker players to donate to multiple sclerosis research,” said Dave Smiddy, VP & General Manager of FunClick. “Because of its viral nature, social gaming has a great potential for social good. We hope fans of WPT Texas Hold ‘Em Poker on the Facebook Platform will jump on the bandwagon and help raise money and awareness.”

“It is a terrific opportunity for someone to have some straight out fun while helping to change the lives of over 2.1 million people worldwide who are living with multiple sclerosis,” said Graham McReynolds, Executive Vice President Marketing and Development at the National MS Society. “We are both honored and excited to be a part of this ingenious WPT Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Chips for Charity promotion.”

“I started playing poker right after I was diagnosed with MS, so I am thrilled to be a part of the WPT Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Chips for Charity promotion,” said EJ Levy, Founder and President of MS Hope for a Cure. “Poker is one of my passions, and now poker fans all over the world can help find a cure for MS while having a great time at the online tables on Facebook. It’s a win-win for all.”

For details about the Chips for Charity promotion please visit http://www.funclickgames.com/chipsforcharity. To become a fan of WPT Texas Hold ‘Em Poker please visit http://www.facebook.com/playwpt or follow @PlayWPT on Twitter.

To learn more about the National MS Society and MS Hope for a Cure or to find out how to donate, please visit http://www.nationalmssociety.org and http://www.mshopeforacure.org.

About FunClick

FunClick is a social gaming company dedicated to the creation of original and branded social games that are fun, free and easy-to-learn. We connect people from around the world with engaging social games and content for self-expression, amusement, and play. Based in San Francisco, FunClick was founded in 2010 and currently develops innovative games on Facebook.

Become a fan of FunClick on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/funclickgames and follow us on Twitter @funclickgames!

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the body. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with the disease. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.1 million worldwide.

About MS Hope for a Cure

MS Hope for a Cure’s mission is to raise money to find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis and to support those individuals and their families living with MS until a cure is found. It was started by Elissa (EJ) Levy in 2007. Since being diagnosed with MS in 2002, EJ had been working closely with the National MS Society and in 2006 she helped raise over $300,000 for the New York City Chapter. At that time EJ felt that she could do more to help the cause by creating a new not-for-profit organization. EJ still works closely with the MS Society and continues to help fund their important research projects and programs.

Since its inception, MS Hope for a Cure has raised over $1.8 million dollars. In turn, the organization has funded 17 grants for critical research and programs to help people living with MS. To learn more, visit www.mshopeforacure.org.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. The National MS Society addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS by funding cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education, collaborating with MS organizations around the world, and providing programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move their lives forward. In 2009 alone, through its national office and 50-state network of chapters, the Society devoted over $132 million to programs that enhanced more than one million lives. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested nearly $40 million to support 375 research projects around the world. The Society is a group of people who want to do something about MS now.

Join the movement at www.nationalMSsociety.org.

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Source: FunClick