The 2018 Support our Troops Poker Run is taking place today on Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks and Poker Runs America’s photographer and videographer, Jim Davis, was on hand to capture some great photos and videos of the more than 80 boats that participated.
The list of boats in the run included some well-known current names and some great blasts from the past including MTI, Advantage Boats, Powerquest, Formula, Wright Performance, Outerlimits, Fountain and more. Poker Runs America would like to thank Performance Boat Center for having Davis on board one of the dealership’s Cigarette 38’ Top Guns and Rocky, the owner of a 42’ MTI, catamaran for taking Davis on another leg.
The boats left from Camden on the Water and had their choice of 13 stops to pick up cards. A team that made it to each stop was rewarded with a commemorative cooler. The list of stops is as follows: Tap – Grill; Camden on the Lake; Redhead; Backwater Jacks; Paradise; Captain Ron’s; Frankie and Louies; Bear Bottom; Fish & Co; Larry’s on the Lake; Shady Gators; Dog Days; and Nauti Fish. The card hands will be drawn at the Woof Top Bar at Dog Days this evening.
The fleet was separated into three groups so Davis and other photographers could get footage of all the boats from the air.
The run was sponsored by Performance Boat Center and Midwestboatparty with title sponsors Poly Lift and Sunsation Powerboats and Platinum sponsors Dockworks and ProDesigns. For a full list of sponsors check out lakecharitypokerrun.com.
As the name of the event suggests, its primary mission is to support military veterans and Davis said about 28 veterans rode with different participants. Performance Boat Center’s delivery driver Rusty Williams had a boat full of veterans in one of the dealerships’ Wright Performance 360s and Poly Lift transported warriors in two of its boats.
H.E.R.O.E.S. stands for Homefront Enabling Relationships, Opportunities and Empowerment through Support and the organization is a collaborative effort among established non-governmental organizations designed to provide complete and proactive support for members of all branches of the military and their families. The program consists of a network of thousands of trained caregivers and professional mental health care and service providers working together to provide a system of support for military members and their families. For a full description of the program, go to heroescare.org.
