The Platinum Powerboat Club will host its first “Puttin’ on the Wish” event of the year at the Desert Storm Poker Run in Lake Havasu, Ariz., next month. Teaming up with LakeRacer—the producer of the West Coast’s largest poker run—the club is raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Arizona while giving powerboat rides to wish kids and their families, as well as other Lake Havasu children’s organizations.

The event begins on Wednesday, April 21 with Puttin’ on the Wish at the Nautical Inn Resort and continues with a street party on Thursday night, followed by the poker run Friday, the Shootout on Saturday and an offshore race on Sunday. As part of the Puttin’ on the Wish event, a live auction will be held Friday evening following the poker run party at the Nautical Resort Cove.

After raising nearly $60,000 for children in need and giving 400-plus charity rides since its inception in 2008, the club has expanded to join other events around the country. Club founder Joy Schou said she is excited to have the first fundraiser of 2010 at Desert Storm, and is looking forward to the other six events on the club’s calendar.

The 2010 schedule includes charity rides at the following events: Jacksonville Poker Run in Florida (June 3-6), Sunny Isle Beach Offshore Powerboat Challenge in Florida (June 10-13), Grand Lake Poker Run in Oklahoma (July 15-18), Power for a Cure Poker Run in Norfolk, Va., (Aug. 6-8), Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in Missouri (Aug. 26-29) and the Lake Texoma Poker Run in Texas (Sept. 9-12).

For more information on the club, visit www.platinumpowerboatclub.com. And for more on Desert Storm, check out www.lakeracerllc.com. Or if you’d like to donate your time or an auction item for any of the club’s events, e-mail Joy Schou at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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