MANITOULIN—The Manitoulin Snowdusters Snowmobile Club is hosting a poker chip run in memory of Todd ‘T.C.’ Corbiere of Honora Bay, a snowmobile enthusiast who passed away at the age of 60 in August of last year.
“We are holding a poker chip run in memory of Todd,” said Al Davy, of the Snowdusters. He pointed out Chris Laidley, a club member, came up with “this really great idea. The event is all being done through the Snowdusters,” said Mr. Davy, who pointed out a portion of the proceeds from the event will be going toward a student bursary being created in Mr. Corbiere’s memory, as had been suggested by his wife Kate.
“I had been contacted by Maya Holsen, secretary of the Snowdusters who asked if they could have my blessing to hold this event,” said Ms. Corbiere. “I was extremely honoured and so pleased that the community would do this for him. And to see that other people were affected by him in this way was heart warming. I asked if a portion of the proceeds from the event could be used for a student bursary at MSS (Manitoulin Secondary School). Todd was a member of the Snowdusters and helped the club maintain its groomer, and he was proud of, and loved, Manitoulin.
“Todd was a good friend to the many people who knew him on the Island,” said Mr. Laidley. Mr. Corbiere passed away on August 4, 2022. “He was a good, kind person. And everyone called him TC,” he said, noting Mr. Corbiere was a mechanic, who has been around snowmobiles and automobiles all his life.
“I just thought a poker chip run might be a good idea, and I knew that the Snowdusters were looking for different fundraising ideas,” said Mr. Laidley. He explained a poker chip run is not like a typical poker run where you will stop at a business location and draw a card for a poker hand. In the poker chip run, “you draw a chip (with chips made of different colours) out of a box, and someone from the business stamps your card the different colour you have drawn. The winner is determined as follows: At the March meeting, the colour chips will be drawn to determine how many points each chip is worth. The person who has the most points wins. For example for points might be, white 10 points, blue 20 points and so on. So it will be total points.”
“And with a bad hand in a poker run, you can basically be out of the game early and may decide not to visit other businesses for a card, but with the poker chip, this way you won’t know how good or bad you are doing until the end of the game,” said Mr. Laidley.
The Snowdusters Poker Chip Run is being held from February 1-28.
“So far I have between 25-30 business places on the Island signed up to take part in the run,” said Mr. Laidley. “And all businesses that have signed up have been very generous, and we have other people donating several prizes. The business Wheels To Water, for example, has donated a prize of $1,000 worth of detailing services for auto and marine. As soon as Shaun Bedard saw the advertisement for the event on Facebook, he contacted me and said he wanted to donate a prize toward it. Other prizes up for grabs include one night stays at different accommodation places around the Island, a snowmobile helmet, and more. Different businesses are talking about doing special promotions, draws, meals and things like that during the Poker Chip Run to entice people as well. With the event, we are also trying to bring exposure to local business and to bring people into their businesses, and show what services they provide in the businesses.
“We have businesses across the Island taking part,” said Mr. Laidley. He pointed out the poker chip run is open to those who came by snowmobile, car, truck, basically any vehicle. However, people that sign up and want to use their snowmobile to take part need to have a valid Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs trail permit.”
“The Snowdusters want to thank all the businesses that have signed up to take part, as well as all those who have donated prizes for the event,” continued Mr. Laidley. “And a big shout out to Kate, Todd’s wife, to put forward the idea of having a portion of the funds going to a student bursary in memory of Todd. The rest of the proceeds will go into prizes and funds for snowmobile trails.
Anyone who hasn’t made a donation as of yet but wants to, or wants more information or to register to participate can contact Mr. Laidley by phone/text at 705-862-2616 or by email at info@laidley-stationery.ca. Subject line: poker chip run. “Once someone who is registered as a participant in the poker chip run, (which is $20.00 per hand card), I will send them a list of all the businesses on the Island that have the cards,” said Mr. Laidley.
The Snowdusters will be announcing the winner of the contest on March 21 at a Snowdusters meeting.
The Snowdusters also have a new logo, said Maya Holson, secretary of the Snowdusters, who pointed out the winning entry was submitted by Jo-Anne Mott, a Haweater who lived on the Island until she was 17 years-old.
Ms. Mott, who now lives in Edmonton, Alberta and is a former graphic designer designed the winning logo among the eight sent in and was voted as the winner of the contest (and a $250 cash prize) by Snowduster club members at a recent meeting. The designs were judged on creativity, originality, overall design, impact and ease of reproduction.
Ms. Mott told The Expositor, “My father, Lloyd Belanger, used to be a typesetter for the Expositor around 1960. My brother Buck Belanger lives in Bay Estates. Most of my relatives lived on Manitoulin Island, including my uncles Humphrey and Charlie Beaudin. When I was 17, I moved to Sudbury and got married.” She now lives in Edmonton with her second husband.
“I worked as a graphic designer for 30 years before I retired,” Ms. Mott said. She explained, “my logo is two-colours, blue and black, and I knew it needed to have Manitoulin Island on it, and of course a snowmobiler.”
