Author: PIB_Blog

On his annual charity stop in Australia to visit with friends at Salvation Army headquarters, Tony took time to exchange best practices and ideas on how to improve the lives of the homeless in urban centers around the world. But, he also took time out to play.

Yes, Tony occasionally takes time out to play?! But to Tony, it’s no ordinary playing. It’s actually a case of being “all in” for the cause.

Tony’s interest in the game of poker began when he sold a majority stake in his extensive car dealership enterprise a number of years ago, and for the first time in his life, he experienced what it was like to have some extra time on his hands. Soon enough, his engineering, math and sciences mind would find their perfect home in the game of poker. For Tony, however, playing poker had nothing to do with gambling at all, but rather an opportunity to be a living, breathing example to others. An example of how to live selflessly and with purpose, for others and for community, rather than oneself.

While reading books on the topic and researching the game of poker in his hometown of Tampa Bay, Tony quickly realized he had a genuine penchant and affinity for the game. His motivation was not to become more wealthy or well-known, however. Rather he recognized the opportunity to be an inspiration to others by giving all of his winnings back. Back to those who he knew needed it more than him.

Tony’s US and international cause travels often find him with a place at a table amongst those looking to fulfill their dreams. In Tony’s case, the dream becomes a reality for others, rather than himself, each and every time he “places” or wins a tournament.

Tony’s winnings are always 100% fully donated to charity. His personal costs and tournament buy-ins are all at his own expense, as he only competes for the joy of playing and for the cause of giving back to others and helping to heal lives.

Through the next couple of weeks, Tony will be continuing to play in the annual Aussie Millions Poker Championship in Melbourne, Australia. As he travels about Melbourne, reaching and teaching others how to give back, and meeting with organizations to inspire change and change advocates in their communities, he is also looking forward to competing with the best players from around the world, in his quest to not only win hearts, but the additional financial resources for a cause that is very near and dear to him.

 

Today Tony visited Abe Brown Ministries to learn more about the people it serves and to offer them encouragement.

Abe Brown began his mission in 1976 when one of his former football players was charged with murder. He realized he had taught young men how to play football but not how to live. Although he died in 2010, his organization continues to help ex-offenders get to know Jesus Christ and effectively transition from jail into society.

“This is close to my heart, because it’s the same philosophy we follow,” Tony says. “It’s more valuable to teach a man to fish, than to feed him for a day. Helping him to acquire skills to support himself and his family, and to be a productive member of society, is a true gift.”

Tony visited Abe Brown Ministries clients who are in Transitional Living, a 12-month program that gives ex-offenders a safe place to live while building a new life. Earlier this year, two of its homes were renovated and another was built.

“It’s a struggle for these men when they come out of jail,” Tony says. “It’s important for them to have a clean, bright place to call home while they find a new way.”

A crucial part of Transitional Living is its Ready4Work program. Young men attend several weeks of career development training and life-skills classes and can rely on life-coaching, support groups and drug counselling.

Tony took some time to address the students.

“You’re in the right place,” Tony told them. “God brought you here. This is what you need to get you from where you were to the end of your journey.”

 

Tony recently attended the 2018 graduation ceremony for the Metropolitan Ministries Inside The Box Culinary Arts program. Not simply as an honored guest. No, no, our own Tony March was a graduate of the program!

“I’ve spent a lot of my time in the kitchen at Metropolitan Ministry,”  Tony says with a laugh. “It was finally time for me to improve my skills and get the job done more efficiently. Now I’m slicing and dicing like a pro.”

The program trains at-risk students for a career in the food service industry. They learn about food handling and high volume production, and gain cafeteria, restaurant and catering experience.

“We learned so much,”  Tony says. “Cuts of carrots, serving lobster, I even made a lemon meringue pie! These students are fully prepared and ready to work in any kitchen.”
As part of their training, every day the students work in the Metropolitan Ministries kitchen to provide meals for the 420 full-time residents, where Tony has volunteered hundreds of hours stirring and serving.

Tony’s classmates honored him by giving him the role of keynote speaker at graduation. In return, he praised the young students for their dedication, and assured them they are capable of great things.

“You can reach the top of your mountain,”  he said.

The graduates had a fantastic night, receiving their diplomas and chef’s jackets. They danced through the late hours of the night…and into a promising future.

 

More than 400 inner city kids attended a free conference called “Put Down Your Fake ID” on September 15th at Hillsborough Community College. The Pay It Backward Foundation served as a sponsor for the event.

“I know what it’s like to be surrounded by bad options and negative peer pressure,”   Tony says. “The message of this event—being true to yourself in spite of it all—really spoke to me and I knew we had to get involved.”

The star of the show was Frank D. Murphy, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneer wide receiver and recipient of the Barack Obama Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Youth should feel encouraged and full of joy to be themselves at all times,”   Murphy said. “I don’t want them to be a copy of something fake. This conference will help them realize the true potential they have, if they take this opportunity to connect with and maximize their real ID.”

Murphy knows what he’s talking about. He ran with the wrong crowd, was jailed at 15 years old, righted himself, and achieved an illustrious NFL career. To help others avoid the same mistakes, he created the Mentoring With Purpose Charity, which hosted the event.

Other speakers included Crossover Church’s Tommy “Urban D” Kyllonen and Mr. Del, a producer and rapper of Three 6 Mafia. The kids also enjoyed musical performances by Gitt Swift and Canton “Cajo” Jones.

“It’s one thing to tell kids to make good choices, but to show them a star who was once just like them and rose above it all to succeed?”   Tony says. “That’s a powerful experience. I hope some lives were changed today.”

 

Tony was celebrated yesterday by the Tampa Bay Lightning NHL hockey team with one of its coveted Community Hero Award.

It’s awarded annually to people who are making Tampa a better place to live.

“When you feed the hungry, you don’t just give them a meal, you give them hope,” said Lightning left wing Alex Killorn in a video that played on the Lightning Vision Scoreboard before the ceremony. “For the last decade, Tony has been the face of hope for poor and homeless families… Beyond the kitchen, Tony has volunteered more than 9,000 hours in the last 9 years to help homeless people in need. What Tony does isn’t easy, it’s right, and that’s why Tony is a hero.”

As part of the celebration, Tony had the chance to tour the Amalie Arena, with stops in the dressing room and the players’ bench. He was given the use of box seats for the game and cheered on the Lightning with friends and family.

“We had a lot of fun,”  Tony says. “The atmosphere was electric and it was a great game.”

But Tony will tell you the best part was receiving a $50,000 grant to be given to the charities of his choice. After the ceremony, he delivered $40,000 to Metropolitan Ministries and $10,000 to his friends at Abe Brown Ministries, which provides transition housing and education for people recently released from prison.

“The recognition is always humbling, but I’m just happy to get that money in here to make a difference,” Tony says. “And now I’ve got to get into the kitchen to prepare some food!”

 

Every January for the past few years, Tony has flown to Melbourne, Australia for three weeks to play in the Aussie Millions poker tournament. He’s had great success and won significant money for the Foundation. And this was the best trip yet!

On the first day, Tony was stopped on the street by someone who recognized him from Twitter and admired his work with the homeless.

“It made my day that someone halfway around the world knew about the Foundation,” Tony says. “It was a great sign for me that going public with my charitable work was the right decision. I hope people will be inspired to make a difference.”

Tony’s intention was to play poker daily for three weeks, but you know he loves a good change of plans.

Readers won’t be surprised to learn Tony visited Melbourne’s Salvation Army shelter while he was in town. But he so enjoyed learning about the different ways Australia cares for its homeless that he played poker for one week and spent the other two at the shelter.

The Salvation Army had a café which served meals to the homeless. They sat at tables as though in a regular restaurant, ordered from a menu, and the prepared food was brought to them.
“They didn’t have to stand in line. I was so impressed by the focus on utmost dignity,” Tony says.

At 11:00 pm, the café’s tables were removed and yoga mats, pillows and blankets were placed on the floor. People had a safe space for sleep and were able to order sandwiches throughout the night.

“Maybe it was jet lag, but I had no problem working the overnight shift,” Tony says. “I worked with the mobile outreach team, driving around the city looking for homeless people.”

Before Tony left, he attended the monthly meeting of the Crown Melbourne Resort (his host hotel), which encourages all 10,000 of its employees to do volunteer work. Everyone was excited to hear about Tony’s philanthropy in America, and they were thrilled when he presented a check to the Salvation Army for $5,000, the full amount of his poker winnings.

 

Tony woke up on the first day of 2018 to find himself called one of Tampa’s most intriguing people by the Tampa Bay Times for 2017.

Columnist Ernest Hooper wrote, “Call him the undercover philanthropist. The 66-year-old March spent 20 hours a week volunteering at Metropolitan Ministries as a dishwasher, never revealing to the rank and file that he heads a car dealership empire that earned $672 million last year. Or that he’s a winning professional poker player who has won—and given away—large jackpots. March draws his inspiration from a hardscrabble upbringing, and in the process he inspires all of us.”

Over the last few years, Tony has slowly begun to reveal the extent of his philanthropy. “I’m a private person and it was easier when I just showed up and volunteered and wrote checks,” Tony says. “But I’ve come to realize I need to speak out. I want people like me to see the difference they could make. And the satisfaction I get! It makes me feel good.” Part of this change of heart was Tony’s recent birthday.

“A lot of people my age are thinking retirement, but I like this second career as a philanthropist,” Tony says. “I’ve reached the top of the mountain with my success, and now I get to go back down and help others in their own journeys to the peak. I am blessed.”

For the full story, see the Tampa Bay Times article here.

 

An event near and dear to Tony’s heart is the annual Joy of Giving Event, hosted by WWE superstar Titus O’Neil. It provides Christmas presents for underprivileged kids and their families. “Christmas can be a difficult time,” Tony says. “Kids are sad if they don’t receive the presents they hoped for, and parents are stressed with trying to afford the holidays. I remember very well how upsetting it could be.”

Now that he has the chance to pay it backward, Tony works diligently all month long to create enthusiasm, dollars and donated toys for the Joy of Giving.

On December 2, he spoke at Metropolitan Ministries’ annual breakfast meeting with community leaders, and a week later, with the Tampa City Council to tell them about the event’s goal of 10,000 toys.

“Politics can divide people, but everyone can agree that all kids deserve a merry Christmas,” Tony says. “This event is something we can all come together to achieve.”

On December 23rd, Tony attended the 8th annual toy giveaway. Local law enforcement agencies and community partners, including the Pay It Backward Foundation, created a day of merriment with free food, drinks and entertainment.

The highlight was an incredible display of dolls, board games, building blocks, remote control cars, sports memorabilia, and so much more. In total, more than 10,000 beaming children skipped through the selection and chose a new toy to take home.

“It really is better to give than receive,” Tony says. “I can’t stop smiling.”

 

It was a big day today! Tony started the morning in the kitchen with his fellow culinary school classmates. As a sponsor for the Tampa Bay Food Fight, Tony and his team were prepping for this new fundraising event that has top Tampa chefs competing against St. Petersburg’s best.

“We had a great time getting ready in the kitchen, and then at tonight’s event,” Tony says. “The energy was incredible! People were having a lot of fun for a good cause.”

The event was a huge success, raising more than $200,000! Attendees enjoyed live music and voted in categories such as Best Cocktail and Best Restaurant. Judges included Ray “Dr BBQ” Lampe and Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef, Art Smith. In the end, Team Tampa came out on top.

The money will create scholarships to the Metropolitan Ministry Inside the Box Culinary Arts Program, which trains at-risk students for a career in the food service industry. They take culinary classes, learn about food handling and high volume production, and gain cafeteria and restaurant experience.

To date, 150 students have completed the course and are now employed in the Tampa Bay area.

“This program is a great way for our community members to change their lives. Our graduates gain independence with a job in the culinary world, and make a living to support themselves and their families,” Tony says. “I hope everyone plans to join us next year!”

 

Not all readers may know Tony March is an avid, and excellent, poker player. He loves the strategy, the thrill of the win, and then handing it all over to charity.Tony was in Las Vegas recently for the 2017 World Series of Poker Main Event tournament. It’s a 7-week event that has the best poker players from around the world vying for an unbelievable $8 million prize for 1st place in the main event.

While most participants hit the strip and enjoyed the bright lights and big city, you can guess where Tony was. That’s right, he enjoyed days at the Las Vegas Rescue Mission (LVRM).

It’s a huge homeless shelter that includes the Shelter of Hope (for women and children), the Men’s Facility (which includes a separate section for single fathers with kids), a training facility, chapel and thrift store. In 2017, the LVRM provided more than 350,000 meals.

But there are hundreds of other people down on their luck who can’t abide by the rules and regulations of the LVRM. By choice or circumstance, they live in a tent city, where survival is an everyday grind.

“It was so hot. The temperature hit 115 degrees every single day,” Tony says. He spent a day in a rented car handing out water and socks to those on the street. “It’s a painful thing to consider, but in a city where hundreds of millions of dollars are spent everyday…how can there be so many homeless people?”

Unfortunately, Tony took ill and was unable to play the main event. But forgoing his chance at big winnings didn’t deter him from making a difference. He donated his $10,000 fee into the main event, to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission before leaving the city.