WATERFORD — The Pulpit Rock Trail Blazah’s ATV club will host a trail ride Saturday to raise money for Maine Autism Alliance.
Registration for the ATV Poker Run at Pumpkin Patch Park, off Mountain Road in North Waterford, will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16. The ride will be the group’s first charity event, according to President Linda Mercer.
Mercer said the 25-member club was contacted by Ed Barrett of Lisbon, who organizes a yearly ATV ride for autism that rotates through a different area town every year.
“We immediately wanted to do it because we have the foundation to start giving back,” Mercer said. “I’m hoping to do it every year.”
The event is a twist on a traditional poker game, combing the familiar card game with the club’s strong suit — riding ATVs.
Participants purchase each five-card poker hand for $5 at the gate, where they receive the first card. Every five miles along the 25-mile trail, a new sealed envelope is collected containing another card. After a full hand is amassed, riders return to the starting gate and the top three hands win a part of the overall pot. Participants may purchase as many hands as they want. Mercer hopes to raise $1,000.
While he doesn’t have any family or friends with the condition, Barrett was moved by testimonials from others. He started ATV Ride for Autism three years ago after reading an account of how ATV treks helped calm a child suffering from autism.
“We have nothing like that up here,” Barrett said.
After contacting almost every club in the state asking for someone to host the charity ride, Bingham riders kicked off the inaugural event, followed by Roxbury last year. Barrett hopes the ride will find a permanent home in Waterford.
“They had been looking for a charity to stand for and when we talked to them they jumped on it,” he said.
Mercer said members were moved by the opportunity to do something for others.
“It’s like a big family,” she said.
For more information contact Mercer at 776-9090.
ccrosby@sunjournal.com
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