Emerald Coast Poker Run
Platinum Member
06-16-2010, 09:30 PM
#24
From the FBC newsletter...good points
LET'S WORK AROUND IT!
I'm sorry, but after following the media closely, reading dozens of forums online, and speaking with hundreds of boaters from our FPC headquarters over the last few weeks, I'm puzzled and confused when I hear the skeptics saying they are " holding off on plans" to visit the Florida Panhandle or attend the Emerald Coast Poker Run. Yes I agree that the situation is bad...actually terrible! However, after careful analysis and by using logical calculations, the situation does not warrant powerboaters to cancel plans to visit Destin/Fort Walton Beach in August for the Emerald Coast Poker Run. For the following reasons, we urge all of our club members and poker runners to follow through with your plans, book your condos, rooms, houses...whatever, and get registered for the event. Please use the following logical information to help make the correct and more informed decision:
1. Geography: The Emerald Coast Poker Run takes place in the baywaters and protected intracoastal waters between Choctawhatchee Bay and Pensacola Beach Boardwalk. At NO time does the poker run travel offshore, and there is no need to travel into the Gulf coastal waters during any part of this run. If there is oil in the area, it will be out in the Gulf, not on the beach at Juanas in Navarre, or lingering under the docks at Helen Back Cafe.
2. Oil intrusion through Inlets: The only two inlets that are of any concern for the poker run, are the Pensacola Pass and the Destin East Pass. In addition to beach cleanup crews, response teams are already executing cleanup and prevention programs, to keep the oil from penetrating these coastal inlets. Permits for temporary pilings and long sections of oil boom have been granted to Okaloosa County by the US Army corp of engineers, and work boats are in place now at Destin East Pass. Pensacola has put inlet closures in place during incoming tides, and activated a fleet of sweep boats with oil booms. We expect that intrusion to bay waters is a remote possibilty, and if indeed any tar balls or oil residue is spotted in bay areas, FPC will work with local authorities and patrol boat volunteers to redirect poker run traffic AWAY from these affected areas. The plans are in place! The impacts are being minimized by this tremendous effort! Want to read more, here's a good link:
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/pas...om-destin.html
3. Emerald Coast Beaches: We expect that these beaches will be affected far more than the inland waterways. While we can all agree that the Emerald Coast Beaches are incredible and beautiful, they have never played a big role in our August poker run agenda. Not a single poker run activity takes place on a beach over the five days of activities, and some tar balls on or near the beach will not have a single bit of impact on the FUN you will have on the Emerald Coast Poker Run. Case in point: A family that is taking their small children to the beach for an annual family vacation may have some legitimate concerns. Spending their entire day on the beach with the toddlers might raise some concerns by parents and we can understand their rationale when they head to Myrtle Beach or Daytona Beach instead. However...for you Boaters....You are here to boat, and I know that most of you rarely visit the beach during the whole time you are here. Its a boating festival, not a beach festival.. Please think this through logically.
4. The Kids that Benefit from the Emerald Coast Poker Run: For over 18 years, the Emerald Coast Poker Run has raised money for a variety of youth charities in Okaloosa County. Combining the efforts of hundreds of local volunteers with your participation in the Emerald Coast Poker Run, this event has become a powerful fund-raiser, which now enriches the lives of hundreds, even thousands of children, year after year. The Emerald Coast Foundation has raised close to, or above $ 100,000 every year for the last several years, as a result of YOUR participation and your generous contributions. When you sign up and pay your poker run registration....funds go to the Emerald Coast Foundation..for the kids. When you attend all the poker run parties...funds go to the kids. When you attend the Saturday night bash, play your poker cards, or buy souvenirs....its all going to the kids. THE KIDS NEED YOU THERE.
Please don't stay away because you think you will get splat of oil on your powerboat....We will figure out how to keep that from happening! Please see for yourself..your participation is crucial the enriching the lives of these children and youths: www.emeraldcoastfoundation.com
5. The Emerald Coast Needs You! It's a fact that the Gulf Oil Spill crisis has already affected tourism in the Gulf regions, and ironically, after almost two months, only trace amounts of oil in the form of tar balls, have appeared on Emerald Coast beaches. Yet, the media hype and the inability of (some) people to filter what the media are reporting, results in a knee-jerk reaction..." Well we can't go there...its just all full of oil!" So the sad irony is, while things have been fine, the tourism is drying up drastically. The Emerald Coast tourism industry can't afford another bum summer.. Powerboaters are the last resort, the last bit of hope, and a successful week tourism from you, will help the resort operators, restaurant owners, retailers, and generally speaking the entire panhandle region from Pensacola to Panama City Beach..By the time August rolls around they will be in need of your help...
6. Revised Hotel Cancellation Policies: Most of the major resorts in Destin and FWB are relaxing and/or waiving cancellation policies for reservations, if indeed the oil becomes a problem on beaches or in the waterways. This means quite simply, you will be refunded your deposits if the situation gets more serious by then. FPC has received this notification from the Ramada and Emerald Grand already, and we believe that most resort operators will follow suit.
Please don't bail out on the Emerald Coast this summer. The oil spill has done enough damage already...Please don't let it do any more! You guys can do it...Let's join together and let's be there!
Please send any updated information about the oil spill crisis and how it affects the Emerald Coast Region to:
[email protected]
LET'S WORK AROUND IT!
I'm sorry, but after following the media closely, reading dozens of forums online, and speaking with hundreds of boaters from our FPC headquarters over the last few weeks, I'm puzzled and confused when I hear the skeptics saying they are " holding off on plans" to visit the Florida Panhandle or attend the Emerald Coast Poker Run. Yes I agree that the situation is bad...actually terrible! However, after careful analysis and by using logical calculations, the situation does not warrant powerboaters to cancel plans to visit Destin/Fort Walton Beach in August for the Emerald Coast Poker Run. For the following reasons, we urge all of our club members and poker runners to follow through with your plans, book your condos, rooms, houses...whatever, and get registered for the event. Please use the following logical information to help make the correct and more informed decision:
1. Geography: The Emerald Coast Poker Run takes place in the baywaters and protected intracoastal waters between Choctawhatchee Bay and Pensacola Beach Boardwalk. At NO time does the poker run travel offshore, and there is no need to travel into the Gulf coastal waters during any part of this run. If there is oil in the area, it will be out in the Gulf, not on the beach at Juanas in Navarre, or lingering under the docks at Helen Back Cafe.
2. Oil intrusion through Inlets: The only two inlets that are of any concern for the poker run, are the Pensacola Pass and the Destin East Pass. In addition to beach cleanup crews, response teams are already executing cleanup and prevention programs, to keep the oil from penetrating these coastal inlets. Permits for temporary pilings and long sections of oil boom have been granted to Okaloosa County by the US Army corp of engineers, and work boats are in place now at Destin East Pass. Pensacola has put inlet closures in place during incoming tides, and activated a fleet of sweep boats with oil booms. We expect that intrusion to bay waters is a remote possibilty, and if indeed any tar balls or oil residue is spotted in bay areas, FPC will work with local authorities and patrol boat volunteers to redirect poker run traffic AWAY from these affected areas. The plans are in place! The impacts are being minimized by this tremendous effort! Want to read more, here's a good link:
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/pas...om-destin.html
3. Emerald Coast Beaches: We expect that these beaches will be affected far more than the inland waterways. While we can all agree that the Emerald Coast Beaches are incredible and beautiful, they have never played a big role in our August poker run agenda. Not a single poker run activity takes place on a beach over the five days of activities, and some tar balls on or near the beach will not have a single bit of impact on the FUN you will have on the Emerald Coast Poker Run. Case in point: A family that is taking their small children to the beach for an annual family vacation may have some legitimate concerns. Spending their entire day on the beach with the toddlers might raise some concerns by parents and we can understand their rationale when they head to Myrtle Beach or Daytona Beach instead. However...for you Boaters....You are here to boat, and I know that most of you rarely visit the beach during the whole time you are here. Its a boating festival, not a beach festival.. Please think this through logically.
4. The Kids that Benefit from the Emerald Coast Poker Run: For over 18 years, the Emerald Coast Poker Run has raised money for a variety of youth charities in Okaloosa County. Combining the efforts of hundreds of local volunteers with your participation in the Emerald Coast Poker Run, this event has become a powerful fund-raiser, which now enriches the lives of hundreds, even thousands of children, year after year. The Emerald Coast Foundation has raised close to, or above $ 100,000 every year for the last several years, as a result of YOUR participation and your generous contributions. When you sign up and pay your poker run registration....funds go to the Emerald Coast Foundation..for the kids. When you attend all the poker run parties...funds go to the kids. When you attend the Saturday night bash, play your poker cards, or buy souvenirs....its all going to the kids. THE KIDS NEED YOU THERE.
Please don't stay away because you think you will get splat of oil on your powerboat....We will figure out how to keep that from happening! Please see for yourself..your participation is crucial the enriching the lives of these children and youths: www.emeraldcoastfoundation.com
5. The Emerald Coast Needs You! It's a fact that the Gulf Oil Spill crisis has already affected tourism in the Gulf regions, and ironically, after almost two months, only trace amounts of oil in the form of tar balls, have appeared on Emerald Coast beaches. Yet, the media hype and the inability of (some) people to filter what the media are reporting, results in a knee-jerk reaction..." Well we can't go there...its just all full of oil!" So the sad irony is, while things have been fine, the tourism is drying up drastically. The Emerald Coast tourism industry can't afford another bum summer.. Powerboaters are the last resort, the last bit of hope, and a successful week tourism from you, will help the resort operators, restaurant owners, retailers, and generally speaking the entire panhandle region from Pensacola to Panama City Beach..By the time August rolls around they will be in need of your help...
6. Revised Hotel Cancellation Policies: Most of the major resorts in Destin and FWB are relaxing and/or waiving cancellation policies for reservations, if indeed the oil becomes a problem on beaches or in the waterways. This means quite simply, you will be refunded your deposits if the situation gets more serious by then. FPC has received this notification from the Ramada and Emerald Grand already, and we believe that most resort operators will follow suit.
Please don't bail out on the Emerald Coast this summer. The oil spill has done enough damage already...Please don't let it do any more! You guys can do it...Let's join together and let's be there!
Please send any updated information about the oil spill crisis and how it affects the Emerald Coast Region to:
[email protected]
06-29-2010, 06:01 PM
#30
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