Sarnia Season-Opener Showers Can’t Dampen PBCC Enthusiasm

Though last weekend’s forecast for the Performance Boat Club of Canada’s season-opening Sarnia Shakedown Charity Poker Run event was worse than the actual weather that materialized for the event, the predictions of bad weather were enough to sideline many of the would-be participants. But that didn’t stop what club president Meghan Brousseau described as “a small but mighty team of dedicated boaters” mostly out of the Toronto, Canada area, from taking to the water.

Eager to shake-off winter and start the 2019 boating season, Performance Boat Club of Canada members braved less-than-ideal weather last weekend to paricipate in the Sarnia Shakedown Poker Run (click image to enlarge). Photos courtesy/copyright Carl McBride/Performance Boat Club of Canada.

“Although Mother Nature had other plans with severe thunderstorms and torrential rain in the forecast and the boaters didn’t make it to Windsor as planned, the team was able to stretch their legs and get in a nice run down the St. Clair River,” said Brousseau. “And we raised just over $5,000 for two local charities, St. Joseph’s Hospice and Fore the Cure, which is golf tournament fundraiser for breast cancer. Mickey Brydges, a young guy who is new to the club, had the best hand, followed by David Hull and Dave Scotto.”

Brousseau that neither she nor the other members of the nonprofit club, which will produce five events each and will raise money for local charities at each venue, were discouraged by Sarnia’s relatively light turnout. Their goal of topping $155,000 raised for charity in 2018 remains an objective for this year.

“I’d love for us to meet this goal, but I’d be happy with $5,000 raised for local charity at each run,” said Brousseau. “We want to raise as much money and we can for our charities while having as much fun as we can as boaters. At the end of the day, the charities are happy for whatever we give them.”

The club will produce four more poker runs this season: the Muskoka Lakes Parade of Power, June 14-16, with proceeds going to Camp Oochigeas; the Georgian Bay Blast, July 5-7, benefitting the Georgian Bay Hospital Foundation; Lake Simcoe Ride For Dad, Aug. 23-25, raising money for local chapter of Ride for Dad In The Fight Against Prostate Cancer charity; and Bruce Nicolle Memorial, Sept. 20-22, supporting Children’s Wish of Lake Rice.

For more scenes from the Sarnia Shakedown event check out the slideshow above.

Since 2007, the Performance Boat Club of Canada has raised more than $750,000 for charity.

Brousseau said while the 100-plus active PBBC member enjoy trying new venues, they’re also fond of returning to traditional event locales.

“We go to the same location with each run because people look forward to it,” she said. “There’s something to be said for the tried and true—our members look forward to returning to familiar places and the people in those towns enjoy having us every year. That’s also why we try to stick to the same dates each year.”

Title sponsors for this year’s PBCC events include Dave Scotto of Team Gotta Go, Jeff Devolin of Birchpoint Performance, Kevin Primmer of All Ontario Recycling, Peter Brousseau and Raymond Roberts of Central Marine, Ken Jensen of Astron Packaging, Vic Priestly of Priestly Demolition, Raymond and Peter Roberts of Double R-Performance and
Ed Poirier of Edwards Mazda.

Sarnia Season-Opener Showers Can’t Dampen PBCC Enthusiasm

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