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By Ron Cox

Thousands of bikers and friends converged on Key West to compete in the 43rd Annual Phil Peterson Key West Poker Run on Sept.18-20. Starting in Miami the riders found card stops at various tonsil wash emporiums along the way, ending in world famous Key West.

Late Friday and all day and night on Saturday and Sunday, vendors set up shop on Duval Street, offering everything from cowboy hats, biker jewelry, patriotic t-shirts and flags wall hangings and my personal favorite the folks selling LED pasties. Lots of photo ops and samples could be seen. We found a leather shop off Duval St. selling a lot more than vests and saddlebags; unfortunately we still have figured out how to use some of the leather accouterments!!

The nightlife has to be seen to be appreciated. The Hog’s Breath Saloon, Sloppy Joe’s, Irish Kevin’s and the wonderful Fat Tuesdays. Fats offers about 15 different flavored “slushies” spiked with grain alcohol (proof unknown). For the more adventurous there’s the rooftop nude bar and especially for the ladies there’s the mechanical bull riding contest at Cowboy Bill’s. The winner usually ends up wearing her shoes!!!!

And to wrap up your day a stop at Mallory Square to catch breathtaking sunsets. Street performers and vendors run the length of the area. We settled in at El Maison de Pepe for some delicious mojitos and waited for the sunset. After a few of these we didn’t care if the sun set!!!!

I almost forgot. This was a charity run with thousands of dollars being raised for the Diabetes Research Institute and the Kew West Sunrise Rotary Club. Typical biker event, lots of fun and for a good cause too!!!!

Bike Show Winners: Congratulations to Peter Gonzalez for taking Best in Show and Cartel Baggers for winning Best Pro Shop.

And the Winners for the Poker Run are:

1st Place: Gary Ervin from Port St. Lucie with 4 Queens, 10 high. Won $1,000.

2nd Place: Jeff Carberry from Myakka City with 4 Jacks, 8 high. Won $500. He also won the Texas Hold-em game with 3-Fives Takes $6,000 cash.

3rd Place: Jeff Payne from Jupiter with 4 jacks, 5 high won $300.

4th Place: Glenn Davis from Homestead with 4 Tens, Queen high won $200.

5th Place: Sherri Hermanowski from Waterberry, Vt with 4 Tens, 7 high won $100.

Furthest Traveled was Roxane Brown from Bremeston, Washington won $200 Peterson’s Gift Card.

Oldest Tee Shirt Contest winner with a 1988 was Richard Goldman from St. Augustine, Fla won a $300 Peterson’s Gift Card.

50/50 cash raffle winner was Aldon Piere who won $600 cash.