DOWAGIAC — Saturday evening, a poker run will be hosted to raise money for Dowagiac Union High School seniors.

Dowagiac Celebration Graduation 2020 will host its final fundraiser of the year on Saturday. The group of volunteers will host a poker run event with several stops at local Dowagiac staples. The cost of the event will be $20.

This year’s stops include the Wounded Minnow, Lindy’s Restaurant, the Dowagiac VFW, Dowagiac Eagles and the Dowagiac Moose Lodge. The Dowagiac Moose Lodge 993, 584867 M-51 N., Dowagiac, will be the final stop on the poker run.

Attendees are invited to go to all the locations beginning at 4 p.m. There is also an option to select two cards at the Moose Lodge only.

The doors to the Moose Lodge will open at 7 p.m., and attendees should be at the lodge no later than 7:45 p.m. with a complete hand. There will also be an option to discard one card and purchase an additional card for $10. Cash prizes will be awarded for first, second and third places.

Celebration Graduation has been hosted by parents of students from the graduating high school senior class to raise money for a safe and supervised party on graduation.

“It keeps students from getting in trouble or drunk driving,” said Dowagiac Celebration Graduation 2020 committee member Lana Fry. “There are only two people who know where they are going and what they are doing.”

The students are transported on coach buses to multiple stops for 24 hours.

Fry said past senior classes had visited Chicago, headed to northern Michigan and traveled to Detroit.

This year, the group has raised about $30,000 to support 100 students attending. Expenses include renting the charter buses, paying the driver, and coordinating the stops. Fry said the number of students who attend fluctuates depending on the size of the senior class. 

“That’s just what we try to do is keep them out of trouble,” Fry said. “It’s been going on for quite a while now.”

This is Fry’s second round volunteering with celebration graduation. A few years ago, she was also a member of the committee when her son was a senior at Dowagiac. This year, her daughter will be graduating from Dowagiac Union.

For this year’s graduating class, the committee planned a trivia night, reverse raffle and a Ford Drive 4UR School event, where Ford donates $20 for every person who test drives a car.

Fry said the committee has also received donations from people in the city who have contributed cash donations.

Fry said the committee has been instrumental in supporting the safe celebration.

“A lot of our store owners are just amazing,” she said. “They really help a lot.”

Currently, Fry said the committee is made up of about 12 parents who volunteer with all the logistics and fundraising surrounding the celebration.

“We would love to see more parents get involved,” she added.

Readers interested in purchasing tickets can contact Lana Fry at (269) 591-9553 or Christine Potter at (269) 462-1938. Tickets can also be bought at Image Specialist at 111 W. Prairie Rhonde. Readers are asked to call Paul Potter at (269) 782-8259 to make arrangements to pick up tickets from him. The event is restricted to those 21 years of age or older.