“IF WE COULDN’T LAUGH, WE WOULD ALL GO INSANE!” So true from every perspective and especially at our 16th Annual Beach Bike Poker Run. We laughed and even cackled, yet some of us still went insane. What a great day of making history! We’re donating $20,000 to Semper Fi Fund Kids Camp, bringing the total funding from EIPHC since 2014 to $67,050 to help change the lives of military children.
This is a huge event and I love watching it unfold every year. I’m so excited that it’s hard to reign in everything I want to share with you! Let’s start by throwing out a few facts you may not know. The day started with a clean-up crew at the E-Club at 7 a.m., giving everything outside a thorough cleaning from top to bottom, arranging furniture, posting signs and much more! The day progressed with folks selling t-shirts, registering our guests, preparing and selling raffle tickets, judging bikes, gathering and selecting winning poker hands, and assisting with the silent auction and door prizes. Card sharks were everywhere greeting the players, monitoring the poker cards and making sure folks had a good time. Also, behind the scenes and well before the event date, volunteers were generating donations, making deliveries, running errands, sorting and packaging silent auction items, making copies, designing and putting out signs, and lots more! While this is not an all-inclusive list, it should give you an idea of why I am so proud to be a part of this A+ team of over 65 volunteers! We couldn’t make this event a reality without their huge commitment and active contribution!
Bear with me just a little longer. Our surrounding community also stepped up to the plate and supported us and our cause in every way possible with 8 establishments participating in the run, 21 businesses graciously serving as corporate sponsors, and 48 local business and individuals donating cash, door prizes, and silent auction items! Our phlock is fortunate to be located among such a caring family of businesses and individuals in our area. They make us look good!
And finally, I want to thank all of you who showed up for the event, brought your bicycle, spent your money, shared your smile and experienced a good time with new and old friends during your ride! I hope each one of you will join us again next year where we can start this madness all over again! Hope to see you soon at our next event! Take care and continue to “Party with a Purpose!” Jan Hicks