TASER Foundation and Fort McDowell Casino Team Up to Host 2009 "Hold'em for Heroes" Celebrity Weekend Benefiting the Families of Fallen Law Enforcement OfficersSCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov 4, 2009 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- The TASER Foundation for Fallen Officers announces that it will be co-hosting its 5th annual celebrity poker tournament with Fort McDowell Casino November 19 - 21, 2009. The weekend begins with general tournaments on November 19 and 20th. On Saturday, November 21, there will be a high roller event with celebrities. 100 percent of the net proceeds from these tournaments will be used to provide financial assistance to the families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty across the United States and Canada.

This is your opportunity to play against and rub elbows with some of the World Series of Poker Champions (WSOP) as they compete with the local community for the chance to win cash prizes and one of two seats to the 2010 WSOP tournament. First place will take home a $10,000 seat, and our second prize winner will take home a $5,000 seat. Last year, this event was labeled by a national poker media outlet as "the most successful charity poker tournament in the country".

In addition to the poker events, there will be a celebrity golf classic at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, at the Radisson Fort McDowell Resort and Casino on Friday, November 20, 2009. Participation is limited to the first 75 players to register.

Included on the WSOP celebrity roster for the events are: 11-time WSOP champion Phil Hellmuth, Layne Flack, Antonio Esfandiari ("The Magician"), Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, Jennifer Tilly, Phil Laak, Kenna James, Erica Schoenberg, Jeff Madsen, Roy Winston, Clonie Gowen, Brandon Cantu, Todd and Pamela Brunson, and Arizona's own celebrity players, Kevin O'Donnell and Jim Schneider.

Also playing in the event are stars from music, television and professional sports teams. These players include country music recording artist Mark Wills ("Don't Laugh at Me"), pop artist MarvinYoung "Young MC" ("Bust a Move"), Richard Karn (Al on "Home Improvement"), Gordon Klapp (NYPD Blues), Greg Itzin ("24" and "The Mentalist"), Kevin Dobson ("Kojak" and "Knots Landing"), Retired Sheriff John Bunnell (COPS and "World's Wildest Police Videos"), Karri Turner ("JAG"), Paula Trickey ("Pacific Blue") and many more. The WWE has also scheduled two WWE Legends, Sargeant Slaughter (Robert Remus) and Tony Atlas (Tony White) for the event.

Don't miss your chance to participate in the "Hold'em for Heroes" weekend that benefits the families of law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. These brave men and women have given the greatest of gifts to our community in an effort to keep us safe.

To get more information about the event, or to register to play, go to www.HoldemforHeroes.com.

To learn more about how you can assist the TASER Foundation in its mission to help these families during their time of need, please visit www.TASERFoundation.org, or call 1-800-978-2737, extension 2012. Every dollar raised makes a difference in their lives, and lets the families know how grateful we are for their sacrifice.

About Fort McDowell Casino

Fort McDowell Casino is the ultimate destination. Just minutes from Scottsdale and Mesa, they offer an incredible variety of gaming options, fine dining and entertainment.

About We-Ko-Pa Golf Club

Open since December 2001, the Cholla course at We-Ko-Pa has garnered countless honors and has quickly become recognized as the reference course for quintessential desert golf. Designed by Scott Miller, this 7,225 yard layout was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the 10 Best New Public Courses in the World shortly after its debut. Since then, Zagat Survey 2006-2007 gives Cholla its highest rating among all Arizona courses and Golfweek ranks the layout # 3 on its 2009 list of Arizona's Best Public Courses. The facility is complemented by a 21,000 square foot clubhouse that features a golf shop named four consecutive years as one of the "Top 100 Best Golf Shops" by Golfworld Business magazine as well as a full service restaurant serving breakfast and lunch indoors or on the spacious patio with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. Additionally, Golfweek ranked Cholla the #38 Best Resort Course in the U.S.

About Radisson Fort McDowell Resort and Casino

Experience the charm and spirit of the Southwest at the 4-Diamond Radisson Fort McDowell Resort & Casino. Situated against a backdrop of the picturesque Arizona Mountains, the Radisson Fort McDowell Resort features Native American style decor, full-service Spa, Championship Golf, wireless high-speed internet, fitness center, Sleep Number beds, heated outdoor pool, and cable television with HBO and a Nintendo gaming system. The Resort also features 25,000 square feet of state of the art flexible meeting space for groups up to 2,000. Each of the 246 rooms features outstanding views of the surrounding desert or mountain landscape. All rooms and suites are non-smoking.

About the TASER Foundation

The TASER Foundation distributes financial memorial grants to the families of fallen officers in the United States and Canada through donations and an initial endowment of $1,000,000. Over half of the initial endowment came in direct contribution from TASER International employees with the balance contributed by the company. Onetime grants are available only upon request by chiefs of police and sheriffs as well as federal law enforcement executives in the name of sworn officers killed in the line of duty since August 1, 2004. The TASER Foundation's mission is to honor the service and sacrifice of local and federal law enforcement officers in the United States and Canada lost in the line of duty by providing financial support to their families. TASER International bears all of the administrative costs of the TASER Foundation in order to ensure 100 percent of all donations are distributed to the families of fallen officers. For further information contact Kathy Hanrahan, President and CEO of the TASER Foundation at Kathy@TASER.com or call 800-978-2737, extension 2012. Visit the TASER Foundation website at www.TASERFoundation.org for facts and video.

The TASER International logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2931

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: TASER International, Inc.

CONTACT:  TASER Foundation
Kathy Hanrahan, President and CEO
(480) 905-2012