Celebrity SkiFest | Poker Night Kickoff Party

The first weekend of December, Hollywood movers & shakers & philanthropists descend upon Deer Valley for a weekend of fundraising for Waterkeeper Alliance, an organization that connects and supports programs across the globe to provide a voice for waterways and their communities.  Robert F. Kennedy is the President of the Alliance, and clearly he’s not alone in wanting to address issues of clean & safe energy, climate change, and clean water defense.

The weekend includes a poker night, gala, smaller gatherings, and a ski competition that’s broadcasted on CBS.  In short… it’s amazing to see so many powerful people come together for several-days’ worth of good-doing by way of fun-having.  We photographed much of the weekend last year for Salt Lake magazine, and this year we were invited back to capture the kickoff Celebrity Poker Night event at the Montage Deer Valley.

It’s just **cool**.  I know that’s a lame word to use for an event so prestigious & charitable and for people so altruistic.  But, I’m admittedly a total dork, and I was just drinking it allllll in.  Every time I turned around, I was seeing a familiar face, someone I’d watched accept a Golden Globe or Emmy; someone I consider iconic as a personality, actor, or business person; someone I know only as a character from my favorite show; or someone I grew up with, figuratively speaking.  It’s a total trip, particularly in such a laid-back environment.  I felt like I was among friends — vicariously, of course, but they all seem to be friends, so watching everyone interact so casually, happily, and supportively is truly a blast.  High-fives, laughs, cheers — is there any better way to raise money for a worthy cause?