Members of the Medicine Hat Vintage Vehicle Club make a cheque presentation to HALO Air Ambulance last year following the annual Fun Poker Ride. This year's ride is set for Sept. 8.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
Rev those engines for a good cause on Sept. 8 as the Medicine Hat Vintage Vehicle Club is hosting its annual Fun Poker Ride, open to the public with proceeds going to HALO.
The ride kicks off with registration at 1 p.m. in the northwest parking lot of Murray Chevrolet Cadillac Medicine Hat and will feature five locations which drivers will attend to receive one playing card.
Registration will cost $20 per rider and any vehicle is welcome to attend the Fun Poker Ride. The poker ride will take motorists to stops at City Motor Parts, Macdesign Screenworks in Redcliff, Bumper to Bumper and Crowsnest Conte in Seven Persons.
At these locations participants will have the opportunity to play games or make a small donation to improve the cards in their poker hand.
After all five locations have been visited, participants will have a full poker hand. The top three hands will win a cash prize as the ride concludes at the Irvine Hotel for a silent auction, door prizes and presentation from HALO representatives beginning at 4:30 p.m.
“The more people that come out, obviously the more money can be donated to HALO,” says Les Roth, club president.
In 2021, members of the Vintage Vehicle Club said they were looking to host a unique fundraiser for HALO that involved vehicles but was more inclusive than a ‘Show n Shine’ event.
“We came up with this idea of doing a poker run and then we decided that we’re going to do a charity thing for HALO at the same time,” says Roth. “So we’re having fun and we’re donating money to HALO, which we all think is a necessary function in this area.”
Club member Herny Braun told the News he is a semi-retired farmer who knows two people near his farm outside Medicine Hat who have needed the life-saving services of HALO.
“I know it’s an essential service because the one person obviously needed medical attention quickly,” explains Braun. “It’s a benefit knowing that you have an air ambulance that is going to be there very quickly.”
HALO relies on community support to stay in the air; currently less than 50 per cent of its budget comes from the province.
“We are so incredibly blessed when these organizations choose us,” says Paul Carolan, chief executive with HALO. “We’re very fortunate to have groups like this in the community that pick HALO, and to me there’s almost no greater compliment.”
Carolan says the community support HALO continues to receive is a “force multiplier” and allows the small team of highly trained members to continue service in southeast Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan.
“Whenever we have this kind of group step up and do the heavy lifting it does go a long way and really makes a big difference,” says Carolan, who explains HALO has to self-raise roughly 55 per cent of its operating budget annually.
Last year more than 80 riders participated in the Fun Poker Ride. This year the Vintage Vehicle Club is hoping to increase participation and donations.
“Essentially we’ve had a really good response from local businesses,” says Roth. “Each year we’re getting more and more people participating.”
