Gentles,

Every year or so, my camp does a charity fundraiser for some worthy charity. A few years ago, our household champion fought a thousand fights to raise money for a Czech orphanage. That raised abut 1500 dollars. Last year, we had a "Drag Race" that raised five hundred and twenty eight dollars for the Beaver County Women's Center, which is a woman's shelter in the Pennsic Area.

This year is the best fund raising idea ever.

This year, we are holding a Poker Run. A poker run is an idea we are stealing from Biker Culture.

Five camps across the site have volunteered to host as way points, each with their own activity. There may be drinking involved, but the rules say that there will be an alcohol free option at every stop.

The Charity this year is Family Links, which is a charity group in the Pittsburgh area that does everything. They do job placement counseling. They do domestic Violence counseling. I am told that they run the safest shelters in the Pittsburgh area. They are good folks.

Needless to say, this is the most ambitious fund raiser we have ever done.

OK, at this point, less than thirty days out, The Poker Run is a Go.

The cost for a card is going to be twelve bucks in advance, or fifteen bucks on the night of the event. We're still working on where the cards will be available besides Omega Camp.

The Run will start at sundown on Wednesday of war week (about nine PM) and finish at Midnight. After Midnight, all cards become null and void. ALL CARDS MUST BE TURNED IN BY MIDNIGHT FOR PRIZES. The timing is so that people will still have the ability to shop at midnight madness, after helping others and having a great time.

Each way point will have a donation jar for individual donations to the charity. Each way point will be responsible for those jars until it is picked up on Thursday.

The prizes (Which have not been announced away from this forum yet) are;

A full suit of armor (sans helm) made by master armory dark victory armory. The winner can either wear it, use it as loaner gear, or dispose of it as they see fit.

I am betting that the winner will take it onto the field. Fifteen bucks is pretty cheap for a full suit of armor.

Of course, the winner can burn it, if they like, thus assuring that it will never be on the field. Please do not burn it up wind of me.

A beautiful, hand turned executive pen. This master wood turner was recommended to me with the phrase "This is the sort of pen that you sign the contract that says 'Not only am I taking over your company, but your wife is moving in with me, and you kids now call me the rich daddy'"

No details yet, but previous pens have been made from Brazillian rosewood, bavarian limewood, and beautiful, south American Lacewood.

Really guys, we don't normally, as working class schmoes, get a chance to own something like this.

A hand crafted Lyre from Bayrich Harpfenwerks. Well, I am making a lyre, and I live in Bavaria, so it is technically true. I feel really egotistical to be including my own work in this, but we are short of prizes. For those that might not be familiar, a Lyre is an early period form of harp. I make mine in the Germanic style.

Other prizes have been pledged, and will be announced as they become available.

If any of these prizes don't work out, then we will substitute a small (five to fifteen percent) of the net receipts. This is a standard practice with biker poker runs, but I don't want to do it. I want the charity to get as much cash as possible.

The camp prize is a canvass shade/fly painted by professional Philadelphia artist Jonathan Russel. It is intended at this point to include a full rig of stakes, poles and ropes.

So, Y'all come, and please spread the word. It will be fun, and you might just be able to remember it the next day.

And, you might win a harp.

freiman