About P4AC

The main objective of Poker4ACause is to make a positive difference in the lives of others who are in need by raising monetary funds, collecting food and basic essentials and providing them to individuals, families, disabled veterans, the homeless and more. This is accomplished through hosting successful fundraising promotions including comedy, music and charity poker events beginning here at home in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with the goal of going nationwide.  You can help!  Anyone from anywhere in the world can sign up to play in our online poker rooms at ACR or Carbon and help support P4AC & Veterans House and all of there different programs to help various people and charitable organizations.  When you play online poker with us. The money you generate from your rake and fees will go to help others.  Free video and live chat instruction.  Join Today!  

Background, Inspiration and Commitment

Background

Terry, a Desert Storm and Desert Shield Gulf War disabled veteran, served in the Air Force from 1989-1996 and was assigned to Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, AL in the 42nd Communications Squadron and volunteered for additional duties such as search and recovery and worked with the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) . While serving in the military, he began his music career as a drummer for various bands and ultimately formed a successful band, MadHouse. During this period, he met Tony McCarty, a lead drum tech and drummer for Dr. Feelgood and The Rat Race. He also met and associated with such bands and musicians as Derek and Chris Welsh, Richard Hatcher and Kane Bowden (McQueen Street), Jon Adamson, Earl Baumgardner, Oscar Gomez, Tony Ray of 4am (Four Asshole Musicians), Jesse Dupree, Jeff and Chris Worley, Roman Glick (Jackyl), Widespread Panic, Scott Michaels from 95.1 The Fox, Tony, Tommy, Johnny, Kay (Dr. Feelgood), Lance Lisenby, Steave Purdue, Joel Brewer, Jimmy, the 2 Mikes and Hollywood from (Cujo), Kevin, Radly and Koz from (Jagged Edge) Steve Purdue, Tony Turner, David Phillips, Aaron Estes, Kevin Palmer, Atomic Angel, Blaze, and so many more bands and musicians.

In late 1990, Terry formed the band MadHouse, which consisted of David Phillips: Vocals, Tony Turner: Lead guitar, Aaron Estes: Bass, Terry Cody: Drums; and later would add Kevin Palmer: Guitar and vocals. The band enjoyed much success through 1995.

After leaving the Air Force, Terry became an independent telecommunications contractor, traveling and working in 49 states until permanently landing in Dallas in early 1999 and decided to get back into the music scene. He formed another band called Diesel and played many places in and around Dallas until 2002; when the singer got into a bad car wreck and the band fizzled.

Inspiration

In March of 2004, Terry suffered injuries from a motorcycle accident, including a shattered pelvis, broken arm and leg and lower back injuries. During the following 3 years, Terry spent countless hours in the Veterans Hospital “system” and endured less than satisfying experiences. Terry’s best friend, Cathy, accompanied Terry on many of his scheduled VA appointments and she was stunned, awed and disappointed in how our vets are being treated on a daily basis within the VA system. The witnessing of the lack of care our vets received was disgusting. Our vets need and deserve so much more! Cathy holds a special place for vets in her heart as she has many family members and friends who have or are currently serving in the military; including her dad, a retired Master Chief in the Navy.

On one occasion, Cathy recalls an early morning scheduled appointment where they sat in the waiting room for a while, then proceeded to be shuffled from department to department, finally ending back at the waiting room for his scheduled appointment. Terry and Cathy met another vet, Al, in a wheelchair who was having his own unpleasant experience with the VA. They began to share stories and it was heart wrenching. When it was time for a break and to go outside, Cathy took Terry’s wheelchair in one hand and Al’s wheelchair in the other and wheeled them together through the corridors and hallways to the outside and wheeled them back to the waiting room. As the day drew closer to 4:00PM (when the doctors leave for the day), Cathy was getting very concerned that Terry would not be seen and told him she will not let the doctor leave without seeing him. As the rolling doors to the reception windows were being closed and it appeared the doctor was wrapping things up with his patient, she grabbed Terry’s wheelchair and wheeled him straight to the doctor, vented her frustration and explained the day’s events and that Terry would be seen today.

It took until November 2007 for Terry to heal and walk well enough to return to work contracting. In 2009, while helping to restore service in Kentucky after their epic ice storm, Terry was on his last telephone pole of the day and for the contract period. He was 40 feet up the pole and the rotten wood in the pole crumbled and his safety boots “gaffed out” of the pole and he plunged to the ground; re-shattering his pelvis. Cathy flew up there as the hospital was discharging Terry. She picked up his work truck, Terry and the travel trailer and drove Terry back to Dallas. Needless to say, his telecom career ended. He spent the following 3 years in the VA Hospital system and quickly realized the treatment hadn’t changed for our vets.

Commitment

Terry grew more frustrated with the VA and wanted to do something to help our disabled vets. Knowing his telecom career was over and he physically could no longer work, he planned to come up with something productive to do and help vets at the same time. Terry and Cathy are very avid TX Holdem players, both live and online and Terry had an idea to bring comedians, musicians, entertainers of all sorts and poker players together and raise money and collect basic essentials to help our vets.

From this point forward, and although using a walker for assistance until January 2011, Terry has spent every waking moment working on Poker4ACause. He has structured P4AC to incorporate not only TX Holdem poker, but music and comedy as well. Terry and Cathy have attended and hosted many charity TX Holdem poker events; some with celebrity guests. They have collected food, clothing, toiletries, blankets and more for the homeless and various missions. Terry drove a pickup truck full of these items to “the bridge” in Dallas where a lot of homeless people live and handed out everything to them. He also donated various items to Family Gateway, the Elks Lodge food pantry, the VA Hospital, disaster victims and other charitable organizations.

Terry has donated a three bedroom brick home located on a little over an acre next to Lavon Lake to be the first Veterans House and has rented a warehouse in Dallas where P4AC is to be headquartered. Terry’s ultimate goal is to establish Veterans House which provides low cost housing to homeless/disabled veterans and struggling individuals and families. P4AC will provide a place to come and learn to play TX Holdem, improve your skills, prepare for a WPT Boot Camp, manage your bankroll and more. This will coincide with P4AC Music and P4AC Comedy. P4AC will provide a place to learn music, jam with a band, prepare to entertain at P4AC events, etc. Comedians can brush up their skills or try it out for the first time while preparing to entertain. It’s all about having fun and helping others at the same time!