Another wonderful poker run has come and gone, and it seems to be, as were past events, a success. Participants from the Eastern Oklahoma Section and the Ozark Section met at 9:00 a.m. in the parking facility of the Cherokee Casino in West Siloam Springs, Oklahoma, on May 13th to begin this annual bi-state section event. Maps with instructions were handed out to all attendees along with a helpful gift of water and snacks, donated by Jackie Cooper Mercedes of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Phone number of the lead car was noted in case of any issues that may occur, which was a wise move; within the first thirty minutes on the road, we made a highway pit stop to fix a flat tire. We had begun the day with light rain, but soon the sun popped through, making a fun drive down Oklahoma Highway 59 to Highway 62, where we made our second stop at the Cherokee Casino in Tahlequah. There we picked a playing card, registered it, and took in some gaming. Our next stop was the Cherokee Casino at Fort Gibson. There, because of a little time issue, we decided to skip the third stop and picked an extra card. We continued to our final destination at Hooker's Bar and Grill in Pryor, Oklahoma, where the totals were tallied. Dennis Anderson was declared the winner with a high of 52 points. Members’ names were put in a small bucket to draw for gifts. Jerry Herron of the Eastern Oklahoma Section won a Mercedes Benz picnic basket, donated by Diane and Dane Paulsen of the Ozark Section; Kathy Retzlaff of the Ozark Section won a basket full of goodies, donated by Dottie and John Miller of the Ozark Section. Harriet Kushnerick with the Eastern Oklahoma Section supplied five gifts to represent all five stops. Thank you all for your help and attendance. We had 26 participants, 16 from Eastern Oklahoma and 10 from Ozark, enjoying 15 beautiful Benzes. Entry fees and cash donations amounted to $265 to Arkansas Alzheimer’s’ Association and $50 to both of the Sections’ club funds. We had a fun time trying our luck on a deck of cards as well as on slot machines at multiple casinos, eating some great food, and enjoying beautiful scenery and great camaraderie. No one left with more riches other than friendship, the fun of exercising our cars together, and creating a lasting memory. Special thanks go to John and Dottie Miller and John and Harriet Kushnerick for planning and organizing this fantastic event.
