Having filled up the kitty for this year’s Celebration Graduation program, a group of Dowagiac parents are now asking for the community to begin chipping into the pot for the Class of 2018’s post-graduation trip.

Fundraising for the 2018 Dowagiac Celebration Graduation program kicks off with a Poker Smoker tournament Saturday, which takes place at 7 p.m. at the Dowagiac Lions Club, located at 28606 Blue Bird St. Check-in begins at 6:30 p.m.; registration costs $40, with $35 used as entry fee to play and $5 going toward a 50/50 raffle.

People are asked to register ahead of time, by calling organizers Jennifer Theis, at (269) 591-2131, or Martha Hassle, at (269) 876-7764.

The tournament will consist of games of traditional poker, with no wild cards. Players will be placed into one of seven tables, with the winners from each table advancing to the finals.

The winner will receive a cash prize of up to $300, depending on the amount of players who register.

Free food and drinks will be served during the event.

The proceeds from the tournament will go toward the 2018 Celebration Graduation effort. The annual program — organized by parents of the class — raises money from the community in order to help pay for a special trip for seniors the night of their graduation.

Fundraising for the 2017 campaign wrapped up late last year, with organizers raising around $30,000, exceeding their goal of $25,000, said Hassle, who helped spearhead the effort. Organizers hosted several successful fundraisers last year to collect donations for the program.

“Our goal was to finish fundraising by Thanksgiving,” she said. “We were able to accomplish that due to the great community support, as well as great support from the seniors and the hard-working parents who helped out.”

Any of the collected funds that are not spent on this year’s post-graduation trip will go toward the 2018 campaign, Hassle said.

Parents with the 2018 Celebration Graduation program will meet later this year to determine future fundraisers.

A maximum of 49 players can enter Saturday’s tournament, with slots about halfway filled as of Tuesday afternoon. Registration is done on a first come, first serve basis.

“It is quick, easy and local,” Hassle said about Saturday’s event. “It should be a fun night out.”