Boyne Thunder Poker Run Cancelled

Organizers of the Boyne Thunder Poker Run in Northern Michigan are cancelling the 17th annual event, which was set for July 10-11, “due to COVID-19 concerns.” The news was announced in a press release from the Boyne Thunder organizing committee this morning.

Always a summer favorite, the Boyne Thunder Poker Run has been scrapped for 2020. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix/speedonthewater.com.

“Safety and security are the number one priority in the planning of the event,” the committee members wrote in the release. “Due to concerns for the wellness of participants, spectators, the large crowds that gather to enjoy the event, and the Northern Michigan communities involved in the event, the decision was made to cancel.”

Among the most popular high-performance powerboat happenings of the summer, Boyne Thunder joins a string or novel coronavirus-forced event cancellations/postponements across the country that include three Florida Powerboat Club poker runs, the Desert Storm Poker Run, the Tickfaw 200 Poker Run and the Jacksonville River Rally and Poker Run.

“It is with a heavy heart that the 17th Annual Boyne Thunder Poker Run announces cancellation,” said Bob Alger, the chairman of the Boyne Thunder organizing committee. “While it is our great pleasure to bring speed and excitement to Boyne City and Northern Michigan each July, the decision needed to be made to protect all involved and look forward to the 2021 event.”

Sponsors and registered participants will receive full refunds, according to an email sent to both groups this morning.

“While we understand that the response to this pandemic, if not the pandemic itself, has had a financial impact on most all of you, we ask if you might consider still making a donation by forgiving all, or part of, your sponsorship or registration fees paid,” the letter read. “Doing so will allow a financial distribution of some level to be made to the beneficiaries as has been done in the past.”

The 2021 Boyne Thunder Poker Run is scheduled for July 9-10.

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