Poker run to honor memory of Tony Howard
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

AVOCA - Friends of Tony Howard, the 19-year-old Haverling graduate who died last month in a car accident in Geneva, will pay homage to their friend with an event Howard himself would have enjoyed: A 50-mile poker run along dirt and seasonal roads scheduled for Sept. 29.

"Tony was real big on fourwheel driving," recalled his uncle, Kevin Hamilton, last week.

The poker run, to be followed by a jamboree at The Outer Limits on state Route 415 in Avoca, will raise funds to offset expenses incurred by his family in the aftermath of his death, Hamilton said.

Registration for the run is from 1`0 a.m. to noon Sept. 29 at the Outer Limits. The race will follow with the last checkpoint scheduled to close at 4:30 p.m. Participants are invited to join then the jamboree inside the tavern, which will have started at 4 p.m. featuring live music, grilled food and donated plates from area restaurants, according to organizer Carol Travis.

Registration for the poker run will cost $5; a $10 donation is requested for the jamboree.

Travis noted the poker run will be accessible to all kinds of vehicles, including sedans and motorcycles. Lovers of mud, however, will have an extra opportunity to drive through watered down areas. "If they want to go mudding, they'll be able to," Travis said, adding the Avoca Volunteer fire Department will host a car wash to clean off muddied vehicles after the run.

Howard died the morning of Aug. 21 while driving to work in Geneva. In addition to four-wheeling, he was said to love outdoor sports including hunting and fishing.

He is survived by his parents, Ronald and Tina Howard of Bath, and many additional relatives.