Poker Run Highlights
Letter of Appreciation by Dave Wilson Submitted to The Valley Gazette for Publication
Successful Poker Run Appreciation & Thank You
The big winner of the day was the SFMH Foundation with a $9,320.00 contribution towards the lease purchase of the new digital mammography unit, already installed, as part of KAPOA’s ‘Think Pink’ campaign.
Thanks to the efforts and participation of so many people and businesses, the “2014 KAPOA – Valley Gazette – SFMH Foundation Charity Annual Poker Run” was successful. And up from $6,000.00 last year.
Saturday morning July 26, armed with their KAPOA water hazard maps, captains and crews ventured forth in their trusty boats from the Barry’s Bay municipal dock, then visited 9 more docks on their happy voyage.
At modest speeds, the boats toured Kamaniskeg Lake, Blackfish Bay, down the river to Combermere then on beyond to Negeek Lake, then back again.
Five foot KAPOA banners were posted on various docks throughout the lakes. The captain would obtain seven lucky cards in total from the docks visited and then select the best ones for a five card poker hand.
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Thanks to dock owners and the folks staffing them including: 1) Ashgrove Inn; 2) Ski Island – Pyz family; 3) Chippawa Lodge – Don & Janet Dunn family; 4) Blackfish Bay – Mahussier dock with Iwonna & Marv Mooney; 5) Combermere dock – George & Glenelda St Amand; 6) Negeek Lake – Neil Enright Iceberg; 7) Sand Bay Camp – Oram family with Susan Prentice; 8) Last (Cookie) Stop – Wilson/Carre families – the Cookie monsters; and, ending with 9) Hinterland ( Loot Bags) Beach – Feaver/Henson families.
This second annual Poker Run was so special that the well connected Feaver/Henson family motivated famous cartoon characters Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy & Daisy to appear at Hinterland Beach to greet boaters and hand out Loot Bags to each boat. Thanks to both Shell Oil and McDonalds Restaurants for donations.
As last year, this year’s prizes were in the form of BOGO coupons where the retailers and restaurants sponsoring the event would provide coupons in various amounts offering a fifty percent discount up to double the face value of the coupon. So for example, with a $100 coupon, the winner would receive $200 worth of goods or services by paying only $100. Typically, each sponsor provides five coupons for the first through fifth prizes.
Please patronize these generous and responsible Poker Run sponsors with your business: 1) Home Hardware & Mad Outdoors; 2) Barry’s Bay Metro; 3) Spectacle Lake Lodge; 4) Lorraine’s PharmaSave 5) KamKeg Marine; 6) Dairy Freez & Grill; 7) the Ashgrove Inn; 8) Grumblin Grannys; 9) Madawaska Kanu Centre MKC; 10) Wolf Ridge Golf; 11) Madawaska Mountain Ski Facility; and, 12) Millar Ski & Wakeboard School.
VIPS attending included MV Mayor Dave Shulist; MV mayoralty candidate Kim Love; & MV council candidate Ernie Peplinski.
SFMH Foundation staff contributing and/or attending include: Erin Gienow; Toni Lavigne-Conway, Director & husband Dan Conway; and last but not least, Brent Dalglaishe, Vice-Chair (& HH mayoralty candidate).
Deserving special mention for producing this event are Poker Run co-chairs Ed Ragan & Mark Lyon along with chief salesman Bob Millar.
From the Valley Gazette, special mention to Publisher Michel Lavigne and Production Manager Rachel Etmanskie were both essential to making the event what it was with great appreciation.
Donors without boats and those otherwise occupied the day of the Poker Run, can still participate as ‘virtual boats’. That means that donors still can win because cards will be
drawn for them in their absence, just as if they were present and/or obtained cards by visiting docks. Twenty-six real boats toured the lake leaving another 20 as virtual boats
for a total count of 46 boats and $9,320 to the Foundation. A great day’s effort by all. 2014 Poker Run Winners include: 1) Bob Tatarski; 2) Harold Markle; 3) Robert Olbrich; &, 4) Mark Lyon. And $300, as the winner’s half of a Fifty-Fifty draw, went to the lucky Chris Pyz and family.
And a big thanks for every $200 donation, as well as a variety of lesser amounts, that made the SFMH Foundation the big winner of the day. You know who you are. You should feel goooood! You are appreciated. Well done all!
We all hope you enjoyed yourselves and will join us again in 2015 as we try to make it even better.
Dave Wilson
KAPOA Volunteer