Local card players all-in for Harrison
UCT Fredericton hosting charity poker tournament next month to benefit Harrison Gilks Foundation, which will help other kids enjoy organized sports, face fights with cancer
Harrison Gilks was starting to develop an interest in Texas Hold ‘Em poker in his later teen years, mirroring his father Trevor’s appreciation and enjoyment of the game.
Trevor said his late son - who documented his battle with cancer, earning him a global following on TikTok - always wanted to play in a live poker tournament, but he wasn’t old enough, and he never got the chance to experience it.
Now, a local service club is hosting a charity Texas Hold ‘Em tournament to benefit the foundation named in Harrison’s honour, and his dad will be among the 100 people hoping for pocket aces and shoving all-in.
UCT Fredericton, a service club based in the capital, is hosting a charity poker tournament Oct. 14 at the Fredericton Legion on Smythe Street.
Proceeds will go to the Harrison Gilks Legacy Foundation.
Harrison died March 30 at the age of 18 after a public battle with rhabdomyosarcoma - a type of cancer that attacks soft tissue, connective tissue and bone, with which he was diagnosed in the fall of 2020.
He gained hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok and widespread community support in the capital region as he documented his cancer journey and his quest to fulfil a bucket list of notable experiences, from a helicopter ride to attendance of pro sporting events across the country.
His death made headlines the world over, given his social-media following and positive messages in the face of a terminal illness.
Trevor told the Fredericton Independent this week that when representatives of UCT Fredericton got in touch with him earlier this year about holding a tournament in Harrison’s honour and to benefit the foundation, he welcomed it.
“Of course I said yes,” he said.
Trevor Gilks noted he enjoys Texas Hold ‘Em and has been active in the local poker scene for some time, and he was aware of UCT’s annual poker event to benefit charity each January.
“I always played in one of the tournaments they had,” he said.
He felt a poker event for Harrison’s foundation was fitting, as his son had started playing Texas Hold ‘Em with friends at home.
“He was young, just getting into it,” his dad said.
The proceeds from the tournament will help to cement the Harrison Gilks Foundation, he said, making it viable and sustainable going forward and enabling it to help other kids.
Trevor said the foundation’s goals are two-pronged: to help kids fighting cancer just as his son did, and to support young people with a passion for sports.
“Honestly, Harrison was a big athlete,” he said - from hockey to softball and everything in between, he loved sport.
There are kids out there who don’t have the same access or opportunity to enjoy athletics, Trevor said, so the foundation aims to ensure such love of sport is within reach.
UCT Fredericton volunteer Peter Arseneault said the organization wanted to do something with the Harrison Gilks Foundation because of what he meant to the community and how his story inspired so many.
“ … Even in his darkest moments he felt the need to share the positive side of life in hopes to aspire and help others who may be living a similar experience,” Arseneault said.
“Even knowing his cancer was terminal, he never really gave up his intense enthusiasm for life.”
The tournament will be capped at 100 players, and he said just a week after tickets went on sale, the event is almost sold out, with only a handful left.
Trevor Gilks said he’s not surprised the tournament is on track for a quick sellout. There’s always a strong interest among poker players for these charity tournaments, he said, but he likes to think Harrison’s name drove the demand a bit more.
He said he’s received calls from friends who don’t really play poker who expressed interest in participating.
During the interview, Trevor occasionally was overcome with emotion as he spoke of Harrison. He’s only been gone a few months, after all.
But he said events such as this charity tournament and others to benefit the foundation are keeping his son’s memory alive in the community, and that’s an encouraging thought for him and his family.
For more information on the event or for ticket availability, email Arseneault at peterfton@gmail.com.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.