Special guest Zoey Lang assisted in awarding prizes at the Motorcycle Poker Run fundraiser event, Saturday, June 20. The event raised funds for the Central Missouri Honor Flight program and Lang, a fifth grader from Boonville, has contributed more than $2,000 to the program.
She creates craft items and decorated flip-flops, then sells them with the proceeds donated. Since she had not ridden on a motorcycle before, she was offered a ride to California to take part in the event. She rode with David Wallingford, Prairie Home, to California.
The young supporter of the Honor Flight program was asked to participate in handing out the awards and picking out the winning tickets for the 50/50 tickets. The winners received a variety of items from T-shirts to large patriotic-themed logo mirrors.
Before the prizes were presented, Steve Paulsell, Columbia, Flight Director of Central Missouri Honor Flight, thanked the riders for their support of the program. California Kiwanis Past President Peter Kurowski presented the awards, assisted by Lang.
Charlie Pingleton had the winning poker hand, and set the precedent of donating the cash prize back to the Honor Flight program by the winners.
Lunch was prepared by the California Kiwanis.
The riders hailed from many areas around Mid-Missouri. The approximately 125 mile route started in California at the high school, with sign-in and a silent auction in the CHS commons areas. There were a great many local sponsors for the event.