SISTER LAKES — The Cass County Council on Aging is inviting Cass County residents to try out their hand at poker and enjoy a day out on the lakes during a fundraiser this weekend.

The COA will host its second annual summer Poker Run from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday. The event will take participants all across Sister Lakes with event stops at Driftwood, The Strand, Indian Lake Pub, Dockside Dan’s and Sister Lakes Brewing Company.

For the Poker Run, participants will visit each venue, draw a card and record it. At the end of the event, the participant with the best “poker hand” will win a prize.

Tickets are $20 and include light appetizers. To add an extra card to a hand is $10. All proceeds will go toward funding COA programs and projects.

“It is just a really fun event that gets people outside, supporting local restaurants and supporting the COA,” said Heidi Powell, a COA employee and event organizer. “It’s really fun to visit all of those spots. We had people last year that got an appetizer at every spot.” 

The event will mark the second time the COA has hosted the poker run. According to Powell, the organization decided to bring the event back because it was a success that exceeded its $2,500 fundraising goal. She said she hopes that this year’s event will also be a success and will meet its $2,500 fundraising goal again.

“[The poker run] brings out a whole different dynamic for the COA and touches a different age group,” Powell said. “It allows us to get out into a different location in our service area. Sister Lakes can feel far away, but it’s really not. … It’s a great area for this kind of event.”

Powell said she would encourage anyone to participate in the poker run, as she believes it will be a fun day out that will also support a good cause. She added that the poker run could be a family friendly event, as many of the stops offer family friendly options, such as ice cream at Driftwood or food at Sister Lakes Brewing Company and The Strand.

“Hopefully it will be a beautiful day,” she said. “Come out and support the COA.”

Tickets are available before the event at Front Street Crossing, 227 S. Front St., Dowagiac, the Lowe Center, 60525 Decatur Road, Cassopolis, Sister Lakes Brewing Company, 92500 County Road, Dowagiac, or by calling the COA at (269) 445-8110. On the day of the event, tickets can be purchased at Sister Lakes Brewing Company.