MANITOULIN—With the Manitoulin Snowdusters Poker Chip Run ticket sales having dropped this year, it means that the dance that was scheduled to be held at the end of the event has been cancelled. The Snowdusters are hosting their second annual Poker Chip Run in memory of Todd “TC” Corbiere.
“The Poker Chip Run ticket sales have been way down this year,” said organizer Chris Laidley. “We had about 50 people take part last year, but this year we are pushing to get 30.”
“I guess with the lack of snow and nice weather, people have made alternate plans, and/or are travelling more and are not bored and looking for things to do. With the sales being what they are at this point, I am forced to cancel the dance portion of this year’s event,” said Mr. Laidley. “We are still holding the dinner (scheduled for April 6).”
Mr. Laidley explained, “to date (March 20), about 25 poker chip packages have been sold, and even fewer dinner/dance tickets. With the support of the Manitoulin Hotel and Conference Centre and the DJ I had booked, John Roy of Island Music Showcase, are not going to charge a cancellation fee, which is very nice of both of them.”
Mr. Laidley said for the businesses that purchased the dinner/dance tickets with their sign-up package to be a stop on the run, he is asking that they contact him about how they would like to proceed with a refund for the dance portion of their purchase.
The Poker Chip Run started on February 1 and runs until April 6. There are 38 businesses participating this year, a few more than last year.
Mr. Laidley had explained earlier that participants on the run will travel to each stop, provide their participant run sheet and draw a coloured chip from a package. “At the end of the event we will hold a draw to figure out the value of the coloured chips and the person with the highest value at the end will win.”
A poker hand costs each participant $30 each. The closing dinner ($60 per participant) will take place at the Manitoulin Hotel and Conference Centre on April 6.
The Island businesses that have the poker chip run hands and tickets for the dinner include Betty’s Confectionery in Gore Bay, Loco Beanz in Manitowaning, General Store and Gas Bar in Birch Island, Buie’s in Spring Bay, Herbert Fisheries in Killarney, and Laidley Stationery in Little Current.
Participants can only get their participant sheet stamped for their own poker hand, said Mr. Laidley, who explained one of the new aspects of this year’s event are new double point values. If participants in the poker chip run make a purchase at any of the business stops, the value of the coloured chip drawn is doubled.
With the 2023 poker chip run, 11 Todd ‘TC’ Corbiere student bursary prizes of $150 were provided to kids carrying on past high school in a trade.
“I am looking at the numbers, and the way we are sitting with donations that have come in, we will still be able to have some money for the bursary in TC’s name,” said Mr. Laidley in an email. “It will not be as much as what we had last year at this point, but it will still help some students.”
First prize in the poker chip run is five percent of what is raised through the event plus a gift certificate for $1,000 toward any product offered by Wheels to Water, based in Sheguiandah.
Any business or individual who wants to donate toward the event can contact Mr. Laidley at 705-862-2616 or by email at laidley67@gmail.com
