Photo Gallery—Cruising Into The Sunset At The 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run
Arrivals for the eighth-annual 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run in Clayton, N.Y., begin in earnest today in advance of tonight’s street party. They will continue through Friday, and by Saturday morning’s main event the docks adjacent the 1,000 Islands Harbor Hotel will be full.
As always, the generosity will flow during the Saturday night auction and dinner celebrations, followed by fireworks and live music. The party will continue well into the night.
The sponsors and organizers of the 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run weren’t the only powerboat enthusiasts who went low-speed cruising on the St. Lawrence River last night. Photos by Jeff Helmkamp copyright Helmkamp Photos
But for sponsors of the 2024 event benefitting Make-A-Wish of Central New York and several local charities, the party—albeit in lovely low-key fashion—started last night with a catered evening cruise on the St. Lawrence River. More than 100 folks turned out for the three-hour cruise, to take in one of the world’s beautiful waterways at an easy pace.
Fellow DCB Performance Marine M37R catamarans owners Ken Lalonde and Kelly O’Hara took a moment to swap boating stories.
For 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run organizing committee members Alexandra Buduson, Bobby Cantwell, Ken and Renee Lalonde, Dave Montroy, Jeff Morgan and Courtney Rutherford, last night’s cruise was a heartfelt show of appreciation for the backers, all of whom play a significant role—regardless of sponsorship level—in making the event possible.
The 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run organizers delivered a fine time for their much-appreciated guests.
For this reporter, it was a first-time opportunity to appreciate the waterway and its surroundings at low speed and minus the responsibility of looking out for boat traffic and navigational hazards during the upcoming poker run. On poker run day, the scenery will pass by at a much faster clip and—like that of any responsible passenger—my head will be on a swivel.
Last night was the final calm before the storm for the beautiful 1,000 Islands Harbor Hotel.
As I told Mercury Racing’s setup wizard Mike Griffiths, it was the ultimate in light duty for a journalist.
He agreed. “Great time, for sure,” he said. “And there’s more to come this week.”
Smiles and laughs were the order of the evening.
Related stories
1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run Taking ‘Picturesque’ Center Stage
1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run A DCB M37R ‘Magnet’
1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run Set Up To Be Another Winner
Cowboy & Indian Summer Tour, Part II—No-Wake Zone Confidential
Boyne Thunder And 1,000 Islands Charity Events Opening Registration Friday
1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run Opening Sponsor Registration
1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run Organizers Present $200,000-Plus In Donations
Sum Of Its Parts—Inside The Joyful 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run
Small-Town Perfection Defines The 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run Block Party
Inside SOTW Mag: Comeback Of The Year In The 1,000 Islands
1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run Video Is One From The Heart—And Mind
Reunions, Wishes And Wild Generosity In The 1,000 Islands
Fully Engaged At The 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run
Make-A-Wish Rides And The 1,000 Islands Breakfast Club
Image Of The Week: Best Seats In Clayton For The 1,000 Islands Street Party
1,000 Points Of Light
Wish Fulfillment Reigns At 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run
Hearts Of Gold And 1,000 Islands
1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run To Open Registration March 1
and then