The fourth annual HxmeSweetHxme Poker Run in support of the Orillia Youth Centre will roar through Washago on Saturday morning.
The motorcycle ride begins with registration at Blue Moon Junction on Highway 11 North beginning at 8 a.m. It will take off at 10 a.m. through Bala, Coldwater and Craighurst.
After making three stops along the way, riders with the best poker hands will win some of the $5,000 in prizes. The top prize is an outdoor package with an inflatable paddle board, a gazebo tent, an outdoor blanket and an outdoor barbecue. The package is valued at $2,000.
Funds raised from the event will go toward the Jake Beers Bursary and the Jake Beers Creative Fund at the Orillia Youth Centre.
Beers, who took his own life in 2019, was a well-known rapper who was involved in the Orillia Youth Centre and was passionate about giving back to the younger generation in Orillia.
"The youth centre is the most important place," said Shawn Cuppage, Beers's uncle and the president of the HxmeSweetHxme Foundation. "We have to help the youth out."
With the current cost of living, Cuppage says there are fewer opportunities for youth than ever before. The Orillia Youth Centre breaks down some of those barriers.
"A lot of kids depend on that youth centre," he said. "They have so many great programs and everything is free."
He says the youth centre serves as a place where kids can let their guard down and find peace.
"It also gives them a safe place where they can talk to someone," he said. "It lets them know that there are people who are there for them."
The HxmeSweetHxme Poker Run started in 2021, hosted 60 motorcyclists, and raised $6,000. Last year, there were more than 80 motorcyclists and the event raised $15,000.
"It's been very successful," Cuppage said. "If we could raise around $10,000 again this year, I would be very happy."
More important than raising money is spreading awareness about the Orillia Youth Centre, he says.
"Hopefully, everyone will come out to support and see the spectacle when 80 Harley-Davidsons fire up at the same time," he said. "It feels like the whole world vibrates."
Cuppage thanks the event's donors, sponsors and volunteers. He also thanks his wife, Annette.
"This whole thing was her idea to start with," he said. "She really is the driving force."
