Boaters enjoy the Poker Run at a leisurely pace while others were making a dash of it. The helicopter observing the event was a fun point of interest.
The annual Pirates of Lanier Poker Run for charity in mid-July drew more than 175 boats to Lake Lanier on the weekend of July 16-17. From as far away as Texas and Oklahoma, participants included offshore powerboats, cruisers, run-abouts and pontoons.
“We were very pleased with this year’s event,” said Dale Ozaki, president of Lanier Partners, organizers of the event. “After missing last years’ Poker Run because of the pandemic, people were eager to get out on the lake to raise money for our children’s charities.”
According to initial calculations, the event raised more than $100,000 through sponsorships, registration and participation fees, donations and other activities.
Winners of the Poker Run were Best Overall Hand: 1st Place – John Russell ($2,500); 2nd Place – Garrett Gorlin ($1,700); 3rd Place – Jessica Ford ($500). Best Natural Hand winners were: 1st Place – Huey Rowe-Anderson ($2,500); 2nd Place – Steve Schmidt ($1,700); 3rd Place Eric Richards ($500). Each winner donated their winnings back to the charities.
Benefactors of the Poker Run include Camp Sunshine, Camp Twin Lakes, Boys and Girls Clubs of Lake Lanier and Edmonson Telford Child Advocacy Center.
Next year’s event is slated for July 15-16, 2022. For more information, visit lanierpartners.org.
It takes volunteers from across the lake to make sure the Poker Run goes smoothly.
The crew gathers to get their playing cards for the day at the Gainesville Marina stop.
That’s some horsepower. Four engines helped this boat get around to all the Poker Run stops.
Photos: by Alan Hope, helicopter photo by Peter DeMoore
