What started out as a small group of mates 15 years ago has now turned into more than 300 motorbike enthusiasts from “everywhere” snapping up a deck of cards and revving their engines.
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The annual Junee Poker Run returned Saturday and saw hundreds of motorbikes stopping at pubs and drawing a card in towns including Cootamundra, Collingullie, Marrar and Coolamon, with all proceeds going to the local CanAssist branch.
Organiser Tony Fitzgerald said his brother Mark started this event after a night in the pub with a few friends.
“I’ve been riding all my life and CanAssist decided to join the event and support us and it’s probably grown to be one of the biggest poker runs in NSW,” he said.
“I’ve been involved in the last six years and it’s great that all the proceeds go to the local branch, where 62 people in Junee have cancer and the money is shared around to all of them to give them a helping hand.
“We had 385 lunch tickets which were all sold and riders come from everywhere; Sydney, Canberra, Albury and some from Melbourne.”
Mr Fitzgerald’s 23-year-old daughter Meggan said she has been involved in the event for the past two years, helping her dad with raising the event’s profile on social media.
“He does such a good job organising this event and we’re here all day helping him out and everyone is so proud of him,” Ms Fitzgerald said.
“I love Harleys and I’m going out on the road with dad for this excellent day and it’s such a good cause, which everyone comes together for.”
After stopping back for lunch in Junee and then taking off for another lap, riders will finish the day back at the golf club for some live entertainment.
The event’s creator Mark Fitzgerald said he started the day because him and his friends were “looking for something to do”.
“And it’s turned out to be about 400 bikes and likely the biggest poker run inland, with all proceeds going to charity,” he said.
Mr Fitzgerald said he’s had a passion for bikes all his life and riding Harley-Davidson bikes since he was 18 years old.
“I haven’t been on the committee for a couple of years but I’m here today with my wife and we’re riding a ‘79 model,” he said.
There was a bus following the journey for those that weren’t riding their bikes.
Of the hundreds of motorcyclists were friends from Temora Phil Tier and Chris Watson, who were joining the event for their first time.
Junee resident Shane Wright has been supporting the event since it started and said it is a “great thing for the town”.
