'Pirates' to Rule at Lake Lanier

By Steve Burns

"Yes, I am a pirate, 200 years too late/the cannons don't thunder, there's nothing to plunder, I'm an over-40 victim of fate."

-- Jimmy Buffett, "A Pirate Looks at Forty."

There will be a touch of piracy on the "seas" of Lake Lanier, as the Lanier Poker Run of 2013 takes place now through Saturday, July 20.

The annual Lanier Boat Poker Run will be a fund-raiser for several charities,
according to a blog post on lakelanier.com.

Seems that participating boats go from one stop to another on the lake, picking up a playing card at each stop. When they have been to all five stops, boats then return to Sunset Cove where the hands are evaluated at the "casino."

Last year, the event raised over $179,000 for Camp Sunshine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and NSWKids (Naval Special Warfare families).

There will be different poker run routes for boats of different speeds.

Even Gov. Nathan Deal is getting into the spirit. He has proclaimed July 20 as Pirates Day on Lake Lanier

There are various entry fees. For registration info, details and regulations on the event, click here.

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