Stars of Poker Come Together to Help Raise $75k for Customised KL Van!

In an incredible display of unity and support for one of their own, the poker community came together to raise money to buy Kenneth 'KL' Cleeton a customised van to allow him to play the WSOP.

KL Cleeton will be known to many poker fans for his 2017 WSOP run, which saw him cash for $16,024 in 917th spot after winning a contest run by Daniel Negreanu.

KL might well have cashed many more times in poker tournaments were it not for his condition, which makes it incredibly difficult to travel, hence the ‘need for wheels’ fundraising effort.

The Learn Pro Poker training site manager has spinal muscular atrophy, which means he can’t get around the same way most poker players can.

With the cost of a specially-adapted van coming in at around $75k, though, it was time for poker’s finest to jump into action.

Veronica Brill, whistleblowing pro and commentator in the Mike Postle scandal, set up the fundraiser to help KL out and it wasn’t long before the entire community had her back.

Brill’s special fundraising stream saw stars of the game pitch in, with Phil Hellmuth, Jamie Kerstetter, Andrew Neeme and Kevin Martin among the guests.

Jason Mo contributed $5k to Brill’s own $10k donation, and with Bill Perkins promising a $25k top up, it wasn’t long before the total was looking very reachable.

Johnnie Moreno pledged $5 for every retweet he got of the fundraiser, and that was soon proving to be an expensive but incredibly kind offer, another $10,000 making its way into the van kitty.

That was helped along by Hellmuth (who unblocked Moreno on Twitter) and Doug Polk...

...while KL himself tweeted out his own characteristically hilarious plans for what happens to Vibes now...

By the end of a manic 24 hour period of fundraising, some 208 donations saw the fundraiser top the $50k mark, and with Perkins’ help that means KL will soon have the ride he deserves.

It still remains to be seen who, if anyone, will stack KL when he hits Vegas later this year!