HK Powersports Land & Lake Poker Run raises more than $250K for Easterseals NH

LACONIA — Making waves in more ways than one, the 25th annual HK Powersports Land & Lake Poker Run drew a spirited crowd to New Hampshire’s Lakes Region on Saturday, July 11, raising more than $250,000 for Easterseals NH’s core programs serving children, adults, seniors, and veterans of all abilities.

Event participants traveled by boat, car, motorcycle, or personal watercraft to designated checkpoints on and around Lake Winnipesaukee, collecting playing cards along the way. The final stop was at NazBar & Grill at The NASWA Resort in Laconia, where players revealed their hands to judges for a chance to win cash prizes of up to $1,000.

This year’s event celebrated America250 with a patriotic themed “All-American BBQ” on the lake’s shores. The celebration featured a buffet, live auction, raffles, and a variety of family-friendly activities — including chances to win grand prizes donated by Laconia-area businesses. Attendees also competed for prizes awarded to the best patriotic-themed costumes and decorations.

The HK Powersports Land & Lake Poker Run is dedicated to the memories of Hope and Peter Makris, the late parents of The NASWA Resort owner Cynthia Makris, and Brian Connelly, a longtime Lakes Region community activist.

“My parents spent their lives giving back to their beloved communities,” Cynthia Makris said, whose father passed in 2007 and whose mother died at the age of “100.5” in May 2025. “I am continuing their legacies which makes our poker run very personal and meaningful for me, Brian’s sons, Greg and Gary Connelly and everyone on the Poker Run Committee who loved them dearly. It’s a fundraising and ‘fun-raising’ event that helps thousands of people in memory of my parents and our dear friend, Brian, who was instrumental in getting the high-performance boats to participate since 2001."

For more information, visit eastersealsnh.org.