Blind Poker Crawl III
The Blind Poker Crawl III will take place on Saturday at a handful of stops in the South Cape. Organized by the Florida Council of the Blind, the event will kick off at noon at Cork Soakers Deck and Wine Bar and last until 6:30 p.m. Participants will “crawl” to BackStreets Sports Bar, The Dek Bar and Cruiser’s Lounge, then finish up at Ford’s Garage. At each stop, they will receive a playing card.
The participant with the best five-card hand at the end of the crawl will win.
“It’s a lot of fun for the blind to get out and walk to several different places in downtown Cape Coral,” Mike Ulrich, the organizer of the event, said. “It’s a great way for even the blind to see the Cape.”
The crawl serves as a fundraiser for the FCB’s Annual Blind Fishing Tournament. In its fifth year, the tourney will take place in March and, for the first time, take registrations from anglers nationwide.
The blind, as well as the sighted, are invited to sign up for the crawl.
“It’s open to everyone,” he said.
The sighted participants will each be given a blindfold and an experienced sighted guide.
“They’ve got to wear the blindfold for the day,” Ulrich said.
At each stop, the poker will be sighted and the cards will contain Braille writing.
“They will help keep track of every card that everybody draws,” he said.
A 50/50 raffle will also be held at each location. Tickets are $1 each, six for $5 or 20 for $10.
“Just before we leave each stop, we’ll pull the winner,” Ulrich said.
In previous years, winners have been kind enough to donate their winnings back.
“That is so much appreciated,” he said.
The 50/50s are open to the public; one does not have to be a crawl participant to buy tickets.
“They do have to be present to win, however, so they’ll have to stick around for that hour we’re there,” Ulrich said.
As the final location, Ford’s Garage will offer participants 20 percent off of their bill.
According to Ulrich, more than a dozen people took part last year.
“We raised $306, with donations and the 50/50s,” he said.
The Annual Blind Fishing Tournament provides blind people with an opportunity to go fishing on a boat. The first year of the tourney, a blind woman who had never fished in her life won first place.
“You don’t need sight to appreciate the beauty of the water,” Ulrich said.
To sign up in advance for the Blind Poker Crawl III, contact Mike Ulrich at (239) 540-7431 or (239) 565-5845, or at mulrich@centurylink.net. People can also register the day of at Cork Soakers.
Cork Soakers Deck and Wine Bar is at 837 S.E. 47th Terrace.
BackStreets Sports Bar is at 915 S.E. 47th Terrace.
The Dek Bar is at 4704 S.E. 15th Ave.
Cruiser’s Lounge is at 1517 S.E. 47th Terrace
Ford’s Garage is at 1719 E. Cape Coral Parkway.