The parking lot outside the Otter Lake Recreation Association was packed with mud-covered ATVs and side-by-sides late Saturday afternoon, following the annual poker run organized by the Quad Club Pontiac.
At the club’s first event of the season, over 200 participants spent the day zipping across the region, from Scooters in Otter Lake to the Ladysmith Hotel to a rest station along the trails to Squaw Lake and finally to the Picanoc cabin on Lake Earley, collecting stamps to trade for cards for what they hoped would be a winning poker hand, and capping off the day with a lasagna dinner back at the RA.
Guy Chénier, vice-president of the club, planned out this year’s route.
“I know these trails like the back of my hand,” Chénier said. “I don’t even use the brake because I know where the bumps are.”
Chénier has been exploring the trails for most of his life.
“If you look around outside, there’s not one bike that didn’t come back muddy,” Chénier said. “When I went out to put the poker run signs, there was mud, there was water, it’s fun.”
Martin Rodeghiero, the president of the club, said that at 233 participants, the club saw a record number of people take part in Saturday’s event.
He also said that registrations to the club have tripled since last year.
“We sell about 70 per cent of our passes outside the Pontiac,” Rodeghiero said. “But we keep the money in the Pontiac.”
The event was also a food drive for Bouffe Pontiac, which Rodeghiero said was part of their initiative to give back to the community. The club donated 169.9kg of food and $1000 to Bouffe Pontiac. He expressed his gratitude for the community’s generosity after individuals and local businesses donated 84 door prizes.
He hopes that the club continues to bring in new members.
“It’s really important to have more visibility for the club,” Rodeghiero said. “We are in a small region but we have a lot of great outdoors.”
The club raised $680 from a 50/50 draw, something Rodeghiero said demonstrates a good response from the community.
“It means a lot because you never know how many people will come to these events,” Rodeghiero said. “It’s good to have a good response from people.”
