Funds raised to help veterans and their families
By Chris Fish
cfish@hometownnewsol.com
BREVARD -- For the first time ever, the Indialantic Rotary Club is sponsoring a unique event that will help homeless veterans and their families.
On Saturday, Feb. 16, the club will host a poker run, where motorcyclist from throughout the county will visit various checkpoints, drawing a playing card at each one.
With the endorsement of Vietnam and All Veterans of Brevard, Inc., all of the funds raised at the event will go to the Veterans Transitional Facility, which is a temporary residence for homeless veterans and their families located near Historic Downtown Melbourne.
Rotarian Randy Golden, biker and Chairman of the Poker Run, said the club had not targeted homeless vets in the past, and he wanted to an opportunity to spread the organization's charitable reach.
"Our club typically runs an annual event to provide scholarships to the Florida Institute of Technology," he said. "I was the past president in Miami, and I saw they were doing this one event, so I wanted to branch out to help other people. It's the least we can do, considering all the veterans have done for us."
Sign-in and orientation for the event will be from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Hooters on Babcock Street in Melbourne. Food services will be available.
Organizers said the event will end between 1 and 3 p.m. at Space Coast Harley Davidson in Palm Bay.
Mr. Golden said the event will also include musical entertainment from local band "Wild Card," and the winners of the best and worst hands of poker will receive a flat panel color TV.
A pre-registration discounted fee of $18 can be made via PayPal or credit card to the Indialantic Rotary Foundation at www.indialanticrotary.org.
Those who pre-register for the event will pay $6 for a passenger and will receive a free extra-card draw at the end of the run.
The morning of the event, riders will pay $20, plus $7 for a passenger. A final extra card can then be purchased for $5.
The Veterans Transitional Facility was first established in 1989 and has helped more than 2,500 U.S. military veterans and their families with the VA "Grant Per Diem" program, along with donations from corporations, small businesses and private contributors.
The Indialantic Rotary Foundation is a 501C3 tax-exempt organization. Sponsorship and donations are welcome at Indialantic Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 033134, Indialantic, Fl, 32903.
For more information, visit the club's website, email Mr. Golden at racogo@aol.com or call (321) 725-2020.