Poker run benefits Silent Cry Sept. 26

The Jokers Motorcycle Club, based in North Middletown, will have a pok­er run Sept. 26 to help domes­tic vio­lence victims.

The fundrais­er will ben­e­fit Silent Cry Inc. of Winchester, which is rais­ing mon­ey for a shel­ter for abused women and chil­dren, work­ing to estab­lish a domes­tic vio­lence sup­port pro­gram, and offer­ing class­es for female inmates at the local jail.

There also will be a silent auc­tion, and there will be free food and refresh­ments as well as children’s activities.

The event will be at Lykins Park on Mount Sterling Road, where the bik­er run will begin at noon and fin­ish about 2:30 or 3 p.m. Bikers must reg­is­ter at 11 a.m.

Riders par­tic­i­pat­ing in the run will pay $15, and an extra $5 for a pas­sen­ger, but the activ­i­ties at the park are free and open to the public.

A pok­er run is a com­pe­ti­tion in which motor­cy­clists map out a route with sev­er­al stops, where rid­ers are each giv­en a play­ing card, and at the end of the run, the rid­er with the best hand wins.

Ashley Kimbleton, a cofounder of Silent Cry, said the group has had sev­er­al events this year to raise mon­ey and aware­ness. The biggest was a sum­mer ral­ly at College Park that fea­tured sev­er­al speakers.

Last month, an event at the Cardinal Community Center, Bruised But Not Broken, which focused on heal­ing, was attend­ed by about 50 people.

“It was a real­ly good turnout,” Kimbleton said.

On Oct. 3, After Forever on Main Street will have a flash tat­too sale to raise mon­ey for Silent Cry in recog­ni­tion of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Other busi­ness­es are also doing fundraisers.

“It’s some­thing our small town, as well as sur­round­ing coun­ties, des­per­ate­ly need and a gap we are dili­gent­ly try­ing to fill,” Kimbleton said.