From the formats they present to the money they raise for their chosen charities, poker runs are not competitions. They might—key word—compete for participants if they’re in the same region on the same summer weekend, but that’s about it. The success of one event does not detract from the success of another.
In the poker-run world, “best” is a matter of personal preference and nothing more. A rising tide really does lift all ships.
Take the Boyne Thunder Poker Run in Norther Michigan and Upstate New York’s 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run, which happen 800-plus miles from one another on back to back July weekends. Both attract more than 100 registered boats each year. Both happen on pristine waterways surrounded by spectacular scenery of the double-take kind.
And this year, they raised more than $600,000 for local nonprofit charities, The 1,000 Islands affair hauled in an event-record setting $387,300 for the Make-A-Wish of Central New York program. Reported this morning, the Boyne Thunder happening raised $239,000 for the Challenge Mountain and Camp Quality-Michigan outfits.
The common denominators between the two happenings are simple. First, they are first-class events from top to bottom. Second, they raise money for children’s charities, which is something even performance-boat owners who don’t have kids of their own can get behind. In a world as harsh and unforgiving as this one, the very thought of a child suffering opens hearts and minds and—most important for the purpose of fundraising—wallets.
And third? High-performance powerboat owners and their fans are silly generous. A more-giving segment of the boating world does not exist, at least in this reporter’s admittedly limited coverage experience as speedonthewater.com’s sole focus is high-performance powerboating.
They happen in different places. They offer different vibes. But beyond that, the Boyne Thunder and , 1,000 Islands Charity affairs have far more similarities than differences.
For proof positive, consider $600,000 they combined to raise for children this year. That’s all you really need to know.