Full house for memorial poker run

MILLERTON — “What’s going on here?� an inquisitive woman asked, rolling down her window as her minivan pulled to a crawl in front of the Millerton firehouse on Aug. 7. “Some kind of antique vehicle show?�

The dozens and dozens of shiny chrome motorcycles made it easy to think that, but in fact it was the annual David Waldron Memorial Poker Run, and the bikes were idled outside the firehouse while their riders grabbed some breakfast and drew cards before departing.

A poker run is a mix between a card game and a leisurely drive through the countryside. Commonly the trip is made on motorcycles, but any mode of transportation is permitted. The riders drive along a route, making stops along the way to draw cards to add to their “poker hand.� At the end of the ride, only the best hand wins the trophy, but everyone comes out on the tail end of a nice weekend ride through the country.

David Waldron was part of the initial group that started the Sunday in the Country Food Drive some 20 years ago. He died four years ago from cancer, and through his love of Harley-Davidsons the memorial poker run was born.

The weather couldn’t have been better for this year’s event on Saturday, and it showed in the number of participants. The tally reached 100 by the time the last rider registered. That meant a lot of hogs on the road.

“They all really love the ride,� said Mary Maillet, who along with Jody Neal and Tony Maillet founded the event. “They know it’s a nice trip and you get so much for the money. It’s the same people who come back every year and a lot of them knew David.�

The riders began at the Millerton firehouse, where breakfast and coffee were served. Then, whether one by one or in large groups of leather, steel and bellowing engines, the riders took off for a trip that culminated at the Amenia firehouse, where a lunch and raffle awaited.

The raffle included some impressive prizes, including a two-night stay in Vermont with a steakhouse dinner, among other gifts, which were all donated by businesses for the cause, Neal noted.

More than $3,500 was raised, Maillet said the next week. She added that the 50/50 raffle winner won $800, but donated half of it back to the cause. All of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Sunday in the Country Food Drive, which provides hundreds of holiday meals for families in need each year throughout the Tri-state area.

One of the last groups to register was the Waldrons themselves, including brothers, sisters and children of David Waldron. They were traveling by car, not owning any motorcycles, but were enthusiastic about participating regardless.

“I love it,� said Mark Waldron, a brother. “I think it’s fantastic and it’s certainly a good fundraiser.�

“It’s all for the cause, which is what David would have wanted,� added older brother Gary. “And it’s all about family, which is important.�