A Warm Feeling
Poker run, raffle double the money for Pam Woods Coats for Kids fund

Charlie "Joker" Allen, left, records the card pick of Aaron Dean, right, during a stop at Continental Divide. Allen and Dean were just a few of the riders who participated in a poker run that was part of the Fourth Annual Pam Woods Coats for Kids fund-raiser. Also pictured are Mike Pledger and Trudy Dean. [Photo by Julie Peña/Independent]

By Jim Maniaci
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — There shouldn't be any cold kids in most of Cibola County this winter.

That's because the 4th annual Pam Woods "Coats for Kids" campaign doubled the money collected from a motorcycle poker run, raffle-auction and outright donations. The event concluded Sunday afternoon at Jesse L. Findlay Post 3221 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Grants.

A total of $3,160 was raised this year compared to $1,485 last year, according to Post Commander Fred Gray. Last year 67 new coats (plus good-condition used ones) were given to school children. The first effort in 2002 helped 45 children be warmer in winter.

Organizers had hoped to be able to provide 100 coats this year. More than doubling the money indicates about 130 children will be able to receive coats. Organizers also had hoped to be able to provide some coats to parents, too.

The 52 teams (80 motorcycle drivers and passengers) contributed $1,300 of the total for the poker run of about 66 miles on Route 66 (mostly). Tickets for the raffle-auction of 66 prizes brought in $710, and winners of the best and worst hands returned $200 of their $300. The rest was outright donations.

Kids are worthy
"Everybody likes to get together and have fun. It's a worthy cause, for the kids," said the president of the American Legion Riders whose road name is "Lobo."

Added "Hawkeye," "It helps the kids out a little bit. On a nice day like this, it's a shame to stay home. There's so much going on in the world, you've got to help somebody."

The group's secretary-treasurer, "Pinky," commented, "I like to ride in general. There's a lot of people out there who don't have coats. The bikers can come together for the needy."

Another member, "Rug Doctor," reminded everyone of next Sunday's 10 a.m. event, a motorcyclists poker run to and from the Milan Supermart, to raise the money for Thanksgiving baskets (turkey 'n' trimmings) for the needy.

Just before the convoy led by the Legion's dedicated corps of cyclists departed the parking lot at the west end of Johnson Street in Grants around 11:10 a.m., "Chongo" led a short prayer for safety and courtesy. In case of unrepairable breakdowns, a chase truck and trailer brought up the rear of the parade of shiny bikes, black leather jackets, chaps and heavy boots.

Bataan survivor
But the oldest member of the group and the grandfather of "Pinky," Sam Antonio, 85, doesn't ride anymore. He is one of two surviving men from Cibola County who were in the Bataan Death March in April 1942 in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

It took all the riders 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete the circuit out to A&A Towing in Continental Divide, using N.M. Route 112 (old U.S. Route 66).

Along the way they stopped at Richard Jones Welding in Milan, with each entrant drawing another card from the deck to beginning forming a 5-card draw hand. The next stop was the Thoreau Mustang store, then Mike's Motorcycle Shop west of Milan and the Speedy Truck Lube shop by Petro in Milan.

They reassembled for a meal and the raffle-auction at the VFW, which sits at the west end of Johnson Street in Grants on the edge of a mesa overlooking Santa Fe Avenue (old Route 66), the BNSF railroad tracks and Interstate 40.

The event is named for Pam Woods, who died in January 2004. Her daughter Ashley Williamson, son David Williamson, husband Kenny ("Stretch" ) Woods and others at the VFW put together the campaign. Among those donating multiple prizes for the raffle-auction were Transwestern Pipeline, Acoma Pottery and Sky City Casino.

Pam Woods launched the first poker run to raise funds in 2002 because she took David to school one cold day and saw a significant number of boys and girls without coats. Something had to be done, she decided.

Commander Gray explained that the paperwork will be sent to the participating schools, which includes most of Cibola County, so the teachers can list the sizes and genders. Then the post places the orders with a factory in Albuquerque at a discounted price, he said.

— To contact reporter Jim Maniaci, telephone (505) 285-6184 or (505) 870-7775 (cellular).