T
he Emerald Coast Foundation proudly hosted its
25th annual Poker Run. The Poker Run Party was
held at the Emerald Coast Convention Center on
August 12, 2017, where guests enjoyed an all-
you-can-eat buffet, open bar, blackjack, poker, and a silent
auction. The silent auction included trips, gift baskets, art,
jewelry, kayaks, and other memorabilia. The grand prizes
were a Ford F-150 donated by Hub City Ford, and a Harley
Davidson Motorcycle donated by Emerald Coast Harley
Davidson.
For the last 25 years, the Emerald Coast Poker Run has been
making waves in Northwest Florida. Boat Week is a weeklong
boating celebration on the Emerald Coast that rounds
out with The Emerald Coast Poker Run. The Foundation
puts forth such tremendous effort for the sole purpose of
expanding its charitable reward and helping our most precious
resource: the children of the community. The Emerald
Coast Foundation supports children’s charities and youth
organizations such as Children in Crisis, The Eleanor Johnson
Youth Center, All Sports, and The Arc of the Emerald Coast.
The Emerald Coast Poker Run and Boat Week events have
raised over $2 million to date for its cause. Boat Week events
and activities have been designed for the participation and
enjoyment of the local community and all of our area visitors.
For 2017, over 50 sponsors contributed to the success of the
25th annual Poker Run.
story & photos by
Zhalman Harris
Patricia Robare & Emily Gregory
Octavia & Karan Valdiavia
Leah Casey, Bobby Tampa Kim Tampa, Kim Campobasso & Jeff Pira
Olivia Sullivan, Misty Joy, Bea Mcgowan
& Kalani Dempsey
25th Annual
POKER RUN PARTY
VIP Destin at The Emerald Coast Convention Center
72 | VIPDestinMagazine.com
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