The Pirates of Lanier Charity Poker Run will gather on Thursday, July 16, 2015 at Lanier Islands to scallywag their hornswaggles and otherwise plan their party on the high seas of Lake Lanier. All for a good cause or two, matey.
Seriously, all the proceeds from these days of revelry, pillaging (What is pillaging? Does anybody know?) and blasting superpowered boats the length of Lanier goes to helping kids in our area.
This year The Pirates of Lanier give their blessings and loot to “the children at ‘Camp Sunshine’ and the children at the ‘Boys and Girls Clubs of Hall County’ as the recipients of our proceeds from this event. This we have also included ‘Camp Twin Lakes’ as one of the honored recipients of our event proceeds.”
Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
All proceeds from our events are given to our listed charities, net of our direct expenses. No salaries, perks, dinners, personal expense of any kind or other benefits are provided to our directors or volunteers. Our books are always open for inspection.
That’s what Lake Lanier needs! Honest pirates!
Please Note: Any pirates sinking other vessels will be disqualified. Thank you.
The party, me hearties, sets sail on Thursday and doesn’t lift anchor until late Saturday night, or until the final cannonball has been fired.
Have a blast! Down your grog responsibly and know — for certain — that anyone operating a motor vehicle or water craft in Georgia under the influence will have life-changing troubles with the law.
Need to brush up on talking like a pirate? No, problem, mateys, but you’d better look lively.
Handy Pirate Terms to Impress Scurvy Dogs and/or Wenches
This is the 7th Annual Pirates of Lanier Charity Poker Run. If you’re like me and still have no idea what a poker run is … here’s a refresher:
“A boat poker run is an event where the participants go from one designated stop on the lake to another by boat. At each stop they will pick up a playing card until they have completed all of the stops and have five cards. When they return to Sunset Cove the poker hands are evaluated at the “Casino” then scored and the best poker hand wins the grand prize.
This year the cards will be in sealed envelopes and are not to be opened until the player returns to the “Casino”. Our event is also “Pirate” themed and we give out trophies to the best “Pirate” dressed boats and crews. This will be our sixth year of having this event on Lake Lanier and each year it gets bigger and better.
The only purpose of the event, other than to have fun, is to raise money for the children in need in our area.
Now I know why the buccaneers at GEICO raised my auto rates by 21% when I turned 65. They needed the money for this boat.
Governor Deal declared July 18, 2015 Pirates Day on Lake Lanier, thereby earning the Pirate vote and avoiding walking the plank by not signing the as-official-as-can-be document.
All your rowdy Pirate friends will be there for the high-powered fun.
Look for beauties and bilge rats in crafts named: Bad Investment, Sea Dog, Seas the Moment, Fast at Last, and Daddy’s Money.
Please Note: Don’t be afraid to bring your kids to this family friendly event. Please don’t be surprised, however, if they get pirate tattoos, wear eye patches and walk around with a cutlass in their teeth afterward. Thank you.
Today and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., vendor village, Lake Lanier Islands Resort;
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Poker Run on Lake Lanier;
Saturday, 6 to 10 p.m., after-event party and awards ceremony with live music, laser light show, fireworks at Sunset Cove.
Pirates of Lanier Poker Run is this weekend
By Lisa Laskey
FLOWERY BRANCH — Pirates, poker and a run for the winning hand is on deck this weekend as boaters participate in Lanier Partners of North Georgia’s annual poker run to benefit kids.
This year’s Pirates of Lanier Poker Run has a goal of raising $300,000 to benefit Camp Sunshine, Naval Special Warfare Kids and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hall County.
The pirates’ home base will be Sunset Cove on the grounds of Lake Lanier Islands Resort. Organizers expect quite the crowd of boaters.
“We’re anticipating 300 or so,” said Rea Williams, a member of the group’s board of directors. “Our goal is to raise a lot of money for children.”
On Saturday, Poker Run captains will navigate their vessels to a number of stops around the lake, where they will receive a sealed envelope containing oversized playing cards.
They will then return to Lake Lanier Island’s Sunset Cove, between 4 and 8 p.m. to play their existing hand with an option to purchase additional cards.
Captains selecting the event’s “long run” will circle up at Buford Dam and streak across the lake to Gainesville Marina, ultimately returning to dock at Aqualand Marina in Flowery Branch or Holiday Marina, adjacent to Lake Lanier Islands resort.
Although not a timed event, boaters may run in excess of 100 mph. Safety is of utmost importance, say run organizers, so a system of flags designating a required slow-down is used as well as helicopter monitoring of the course.
The public is invited to attend, throughout the weekend, for a $10 gate entrance. Saturday will include a vendor village, a costume contest for boats and crew, and some top-level boats.
“Saturday night there’s a laser light show at the islands. They shine it into the trees,” Williams said. There will also be fireworks and live music.
Lanier Partners of North Georgia Inc. was founded in 2010 to help in children in need throughout Hall, Gwinnett, Atlanta and north Georgia.
Annual three-day festival docks at Sunset Cove in Buford
More than 90 seafarers will climb aboard their boats for the annual Pirates of Lanier Poker Run 2015 on Lake Lanier.
The family-friendly event will be July 16-18 at Sunset Cove, 7000 Lanier Islands Parkway, in Buford.
Events will kick off at 6 p.m. Thursday with a “Meet and Greet” at Gianni’s Italian Bistro & Pizzeria at Lake Lanier Islands Resort.
More activities will follow Friday as entrants participate in a “Cheeseburger in Paradise” Raft-Up on the lake. A free lunch for registered participants will provided by Norman’s Landing restaurant in Cumming.
Boaters then can prepare for registration and the captains’ meeting may at the Grand Hall Pavilion. Registration will be open from 2-8 p.m. Friday.
Afterward registering, boaters may participate in activities in the “Vendor Village” from noon to 11 p.m. in Sunset Cove’s parking lot.
Then on Saturday the poker run will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., allowing participants time to collect their cards from five different stops.
In a boat poker run, participants travel from one designated stop on the lake to another by boat. At each stop, they will pick up a playing card until they complete all of the stops and collect five playing cards. Stops include Lanier Partners Headquarters, Holiday Marina, Port Royale Marina, Gainesville Marina, Hideaway Bay Marina, Aqualand Marina and Habersham Pointe.
When the boat and its passengers return to Sunset Cove, the poker hands are evaluated at the “Casino” and scored. The best poker hand wins the grand prize.
This year, the cards will be in sealed envelopes and are not opened until the player returns to the “Casino.”
The pirate-themed event includes a contest for the best dressed pirate boats and crews. Prizes will be awarded for them, too.
A more detailed schedule is at lanierpartners.org/2015_schedule.php
Funds raised will benefit Camp Sunshine, Camp Twin Lakes and the Hall County Boys and Girls Clubs. Camp Sunshine is a Georgia children’s camp program that enriches the lives of Georgia’s children with cancer and their families through year-round recreational, educational and support programs. Camp Twin Lakes is the location for Camp Sunshine. The Hall County Boys and Girls Club serves the needs of “At Risk” children in Hall County.
