2022 Bicycle Poker Run & Family Fun Ride

By Kat Lyons, JCHC Operations Director

We had great sunny weather for our 4th Annual Bicycle Event! A total of 65 adult bicyclists and 24 kids participated in this ever-growing event on Sunday, September 18th. The ride is from Brookville to Summerville along the picturesque Redbank Creek.

Congratulations to Hansel Lucas of Performance Kayak, Knoxdale, the winner of the awesome Ebike. Hansel and family participate in all kinds of races from kayaking to bicycling to cross country runs, so it’s fitting that he won. Even better, the Ebike is for his mom! Guess it runs in the family… A big thank you goes out to Doug Hess, owner of Donut Bandit Bikes & Boards (formerly located in downtown Brookville), for providing us with his shop demo Beaumont Rev “Retrospec” Ebike. This was a very popular raffle, drawing ticket buyers from several counties away. We even had a lady bicyclist from Florida who purchased Ebike tickets!

The bicycle event always includes a picnic and prizes. We award prizes in 4 age categories for the kids: Tots, Elementary, Middle School and High School, as well as 2 prizes for best and worst hand in the Adult Poker Run

The women riders ruled the Poker Run this year! Linda Schiel of Punxsutawney won Best Poker Hand; Toni Henry of East Brady won Worst Poker Hand. Prizes included Walmart gift cards, bike tune-up gift cards, Zoo tickets and pizza gift cards.

This year we only had one “rider” in the Tots Age Division, Jacob Solada, age 3, who managed to score 31 points, so he is the winner in the Tots. This is Jacob’s 2nd year in the event riding in his bike trailer being towed by his parents, Joyce and Mark.

In the Elementary School Age Division, Haylee Fiscus of Brookville was the winner with the highest number of points for 5 kids’ games played. Cora Stroup from New Bethlehem won for lowest number of points. Prizes included bike horns, “brand name” water bottles, hotdog coupons, and stickers (compliments of JCHC),

Megan White of Brookville won highest number of points in the Middle School Age Division, while Christopher Pasekoff of New Bethlehem won with lowest number of points. Prizes included pizza and burger gift cards, paracord bracelets and shark tooth necklaces compliments of JCHC.

In the High School Age Division, Richard Elliott of Brockport won with highest number of points and Clara Coulson of Clarion won with lowest number of points. (There was only a 1-point difference!) Prizes included pizza gift cards and JCHC Scripture Rocks Park water bottles.

All winners also received a 1 year free memberships to JCHC.

Picnic Sponsors were Martin’s of DuBois, Giant Eagle (both Brookville and DuBois stores), Save a Lot, Du Bois and Hometown Market, Brookville. Their sponsorships helped make the picnic a success, what with food prices skyrocketing.
Our prize sponsors were Pittsburgh Zoo, Walmart (DuBois, Clarion, Punxsutawney), Fox Pizza (Brookville and Du Bois), Buck’s Pizza (Du Bois), Burger King (Brookville and DuBois) and Angelo’s Pizza, Brookville. Planet Bike, Du Bois and Clarion Bicycle & Outdoor contributed tune-up gift cards. JCHC also contributed prizes for the kids.
Marketing Partners were: The Jeffersonian Democrat who gave us ad space, PA great Outdoors Visitors Bureau, Jefferson County Hotel Tax Committee which provided marketing funding approved by the County Commissioners, Redbank Valley Rails to Trails, Brookville Trail Hub, Tri-County Rails to Trails, Planet Bike (Du Bois), Clarion Bicycle & Outdoor, Jim’s Sports Center, Clearfield and Brookville Chamber of Commerce.

We thank all of our Sponsors and Marketing Partners for their generosity and helping to make our fundraising event a huge success.