The Harley-Davidson Owner’s Group (HOG) of Ocean County will sponsor the “J.T. Pruticka Memorial Poker Run for MS,” set for April 30. The poker run is being held in honor of J.T. Pruticka, a longtime member of the group who recently passed away due to complications of multiple sclerosis. The run will raise funds for families who are currently living with the disease.
Participants in the poker run will ride their motorcycles from the Harley-Davidson dealer of Ocean County in Lakewood along a route that will have five stops. At each stop, riders will be given a card, and then they will return to the starting point. The rider who returns with the highest poker hand wins a cash prize of $200. The runner-up will receive a $100 cash prize, and the rider with the lowest hand will win $50.
Organizers of the poker run expect 700 participants for this event, which they hope to repeat annually. All money raised will be donated to the Mid-Jersey Chapter of the National MS Society.
The poker run will begin at 9 a.m. at the Harley-Davidson Dealer of Ocean County, Route 70, Lakewood. There is a participation fee of $15 per rider or $20 per couple. Everyone is welcome to ride or support those who are riding, no matter what kind of motorcycle they have.
Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic and often disabling disease of the central nervous system. People with MS, which is usually diagnosed between the ages of 20-50, face unpredictable symptoms that can range from numbness and blurred vision to paralysis and blindness. The National MS Society supports programs that help ensure that people with MS will live their lives with as few disruptions as possible.
For information about the poker run, call Noreen Miller at (732) 367-7000.