“On the Water Poker Run”: A Community Joins Forces for Fundraising
With all participants meeting outside of Captain’s Village Marina - and the boats leaving port at nine o’clock in the morning - be sure to give yourself some extra time to register.By Darci Friesen
Feeling lucky? Looking for a little excitement – a thrill that can only come from a little gambling atop stunning Shuswap Lake? Mix in some sun, some adventure…and a bit of poker… and you’ve got yourself one awesome day. If you’re over 19 years of age, and you happen to own a boat (or at least have a friend willing to share), make sure that this Father’s Day (June 17th) you’re in Scotch Creek, British Columbia, for the 19th Annual “On the Water Poker Run"; hosted by Captain’s Village Marina and 98.2 CIFM and B-100.
With all participants meeting outside of Captain’s Village Marina - and the boats leaving port at nine o’clock in the morning - be sure to give yourself some extra time to register. With a maximum of 400 tickets sold - at $40 a piece ($25 of which goes to charity, the other $15 towards the grand prize pot), you may want to buy your tickets ahead of time, either at the Marina, or by contacting the radio stations, to ensure your spot in the event.
The “On the Water Poker Run” will involve the collecting of five playing cards from five different locations. Upon completion, each team will return to the Marina and submit their ‘poker hand’ in to the judges. The person/team with the best poker hand wins the pot – the highest winnings to date totaling just under $6,000. If in the case of a tie for first place, there will be a one card draw to determine the final winner. If you/your team submit the “lowball” hand – the worst poker hand – you will qualify for the early bird draw of $500.
Each ‘check point’ along the lake - which you first have to find (maps and directions are given out before you begin), dock up to, then blindly choose your playing card at - will be spread out over a number of kilometers on the north shore of Shuswap Lake. Upon returning to Captain’s Village Marina, (no later than 3:45pm) the local Lion’s Club will be there, waiting to serve up some of their famous BBQ. After the top (and bottom) prizes are handed out – and as you’re enjoying your meal – the remainder of the hands will be placed into a draw for the huge variety of donated prizes still left to be won.
This fundraising event was first started in hopes of raising money for the North Shuswap School PAC. Now, almost 19 years later, they are successfully fundraising not only for the PAC, but also for the North Shuswap Community Association and the North Shuswap Health Centre Society.
“It’s just a little something that we can do to support our community,” explained Margaret Acton of Captain’s Village Marina, “We couldn’t do it without the people who come out and participate each year, without 98.2 CIFM and B-100 FM, or without our fourteen generous sponsors. As a team, we work together, hoping to help make good things happen.”
For more information on this event, or to register, call Captain’s Village Marina at 250-955-2424 or for information (including the address) for the Marina, visit www.captainsvillage.com.