As we close out the 2019 Hearts & Harleys for Bubbas & Moo-Moo Poker Run, I wanted to take a moment and say a few things. First and foremost, thank you to everyone who participated in this years Poker Run. Thanks to your support, we were able to to raise $1292 to help with all of our various charitable endeavors. I want to extend some personal thanks to some other people. Thank you to the H&H Board of Directors - Alan Lovas, Anthony LaFera, Elizabeth Tiberio, and Melanie Zangakis-Pabst - for all of your help to organize this Poker Run; many people don’t realize to put together a successful Run you need to start working on it many months in advance, and this group has helped me since January to get everything together. Thank you to our volunteers - Briana (and Tanner) Grams, Kelsey Kirms, Brooke Lovas, Jen Jefferis, Dave Morris, Adrienne Jefferis, Steve Jefferis, and Kelly Lovas - who worked all of the stops this year. Also, thank you to Chris Yerger, who handles a lot of the “little things” that need to be done on a regular basis, and Maggie Inemer for stepping in during a crazy time in our registration to help out. Thank you to my parents, Kathy and John Pabst who helped with some critical parts of organizing the Run, be it the phone calls I couldn’t make, or the boards to help with our new table display. A special thanks to Anthony LaFera for trying numerous ways to increase our social media usage to help promote H&H to new people. Thanks to Laureldale Pub and Grill for being a great Final Stop. Thanks to Nancy’s Country Kitchen for being the Host Stop for the 6th year to help us with registration. Thanks to all of our stops - Breezes Bar & Grill, Sweetwater RiverDeck, and Crossroads Bar and Grill - for allowing us to use your businesses as stops along the Run. Thanks to the EHC Crusaders for being our Wild Card Stop this year, and allowing us every year to pay our respects at the Gavin Pabst Memorial Field. Another thanks to Crossroads for allowing us to use your place for the Registration Party, and allowing us at the last minute to change the date due to a family issue. A huge thank you to the Country Cruisers for your continued support over the last 6 years, as well as your generous $100 donation; Hearts & Harleys will never be able to thank you enough. Also, thank you to Paul D’Ambra and Lois Staas for your extremely generous donations, and to Chris Yerger for your fundraising efforts. Now with the conclusion of Hearts & Harleys week, I just want to say that I look forward to next year. The H&H Poker Run is my favorite event that we do, because of how we all come together. To honor and remember Gavin & Michelle. To bring a community together to help and support others. And to show that no matter what, the darkness in this world will never be stronger than the light. See you all next year.
- John Pabst