With two of the remaining 15 slots for the Tip Of The Spear Poker Run snagged Monday, the third annual event set for June 27-28 in Norfolk, Va., is approaching its planned 55-boat limit. Less than a dozen spots remain.
Set for late June, the Tip Of The Spear Poker Run in Norfolk, Va., is coming back strong. Photo by Jeff Helmkamp copyright Helmkamp Photos.
“It’s been going well so far,” said Mark Tuck, who organizes the Tip Of The Spear affair with his wife, Nancy, and their daughters Kelsey and Kaitlyn. “We have also snagged more sponsorships.
“Planning-wise—and Kelsey and Kaitlyn do most of the work—we’re ahead of where we were last year,” he added. “I think we have figured out the formula.”
The 2025 event created a total charitable impact—including raising $80,000 for the SEAL Legacy Foundation and the Specialized Forces of the Coast Guard—of more than $580,000. Tuck is expecting similar and perhaps even better result this year.
“I am expecting the economic impact to be as much or more,” he noted. “
Speedonthewater.com contributing photographer Jeff Helmkamp will return to shoot the event, which features a Friday fun run ahead of Saturday’s main event. The raft-up following the Saturday poker run will expand this time around, at least that’s the plan according to Tuck.
“We are working on a sponsor for the raft-up,” he said. “Last year, we had 15 boats do it and it was a lot of fun. This year, we’re going to put more promotion behind it and make it even more fun.”