Dealer plans first PWC Poker Run for charity
Dee’s Marine will raise funds to send kids with autism to camp
For PWC riders in the Michigan area, August just a got a whole lot more interesting. Dee’s Marine & Powersports of Clinton Township, Mich., announced that it would host a PWC Poker Run on Aug. 11.
The dealership is a single-line BRP platinum-certified dealership that carries a variety of Can-Am, Ski-Doo and Sea-Doo units.
The Poker Run, which is still in the planning stages, will support kids with autism and raise funds to send them to camp. The dealership released a “Save the Date” email to promote the event and draw attention to the benefits of the ride. The email reads in part: “This is a benefit to help Autistic children to camps where they can learn important social skills, continue to learn how to interact with other kids and adults, gain confidence, tackle feats, develop friendships and learn to believe in themselves. For a child with autism, these communities and camps are life-changing.”
The dealership’s main focus for the event this year is 19-year-old Ryan Fox, who hopes to attend a skill center after he finishes his senior year in high school.
This is the first PWC-oriented Poker Run that Dee’s Marine has planned, but owners Al and Karen Dolecki hope to make it an annual event. With the inaugural event, the Doleckis wanted to limit the number of participants at 100. The cost of participation is $100, which includes a light breakfast and dinner. Those who don’t ride in the poker run can attend the dinner for $30.
“This year we’re going to limit it simply because we want to make sure we can do this and do it right for everybody,” Karen Dolecki said.
The dealership wants to start small and hopes to add numbers in the coming years. “We want something quality and fun, and an event that’s going to help people out. We want to make it a win-win situation,” she added.
So far a lot of interest has been brewing and Dolecki says customers in the area are eager to participate: “We sell a lot of Sea-Doos here. PWC people are almost always looking for an outlet or an event. We have had a lot of people show interest,” she said.
The event will both begin and end at Brandenburg Park and will include five “card stops” on nearby Lake St. Clair. Since there are no dealerships on the lakefront, the stops will be at popular sandy bays such as Muscamoot Bay and Bouvier Bay, with a stop at Brown’s on Harsen’s Island for lunch.
At each stop, participants will have a chance to collect a card and even buy a card to get a better advantage. At the conclusion of the run, the dealership will host a dinner, 50/50 prize drawing, a raffle and poker hand payouts for first, second and third place.
