SHRINERS FORCED TO CANCEL POKER RUN

An attempt by the Cape Girardeau Shriners Club to hold their first poker run in Arena Park Sunday was forced to fold by a continuous rain.

"It was too slick out there to ride," Shriners president Ron Clark said. He said organizers would try to reschedule the event for sometime in September.

A poker run is where motorcyclists travel a scenic route on their way to five checkpoints. At those stops they are dealt one playing card, which they use to form a poker hand. The best hand wins.

Clark said 15 motorcyclists showed up despite the weather.

"If it wasn't raining we probably would have had 200," said Bill Barnett, a Shriners Club member from Scott City.

Clark said money raised by the event would have gone to the Shriners' children's hospital.

Clark said it was impossible to set a definite date for the rescheduled event because of the number of factors involved in setting it up. "We're shooting for September but it's not set in stone," he said.