WICHITA, Kan., Nov. 2, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- If ice-cold Shirley Temples at Grandma's house and canasta with your Aunt June are the scare cards in your Thanksgiving vacation this year, hit Old Town on Nov. 23 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. for the 3rd Annual Five-Card Draw Pub Crawl charity fundraising event. The night's full of drink specials at eight of Old Town's best-known bars, hot music and a fun five-card draw poker game that any amateur can play.
Players can fill themselves up with Wild Turkeys and wells before filling up on Grandma's honey-glazed bird.
"Poker is one of the hottest trends hitting Wichita," said Jeff Englert, member of the Wichita Area Phi Delta Theta Alumni Association and coordinator of the pub crawl. "Coupled with great drinks specials from our local bars and fundraising for charity, the Five-Card Draw Pub Crawl will be one of the hottest pre-Thanksgiving events out there.
"It's an opportunity for players to visit each of eight participating bars, collect one poker card at each and try to have the best five-card hand of the night. We have some great prizes for the winners and it's a way to start your Thanksgiving vacation off a few hours early."
$5 gets players 21 and older no cover charge at participating bars, a game card and a chance to win the first place jackpot prize with the best hand of the night. The list of bars includes: Loft 150, Indigo, Heroes, Finn's, Emerson Biggins, and Hotel at Old Town. The first place prize is a trip to Kansas City including a one night stay at the Sheraton with restaurant gift certificates. There will also be second and third place prizes awarded.
Proceeds from the Five-Card Draw Pub Crawl will benefit The ALS Association, a national non-profit organization offering support and services to patients with Lou Gehrig's disease. The evening is sponsored by the Wichita Area Phi Delta Theta Alumni Association, Budweiser and Bud Light.
Players can pay for their game piece and start poker play at any of the participating locations. Participants are free then to roam Old Town to draw their eight poker cards--though only five figure into the winning hands--and enjoy music and drink specials from some of the area's best bars. The night ends at Loft 150, housed above Wichita's oldest microbrewery still drawing in beer connoisseurs, River City Brewery. There, players can pick up their last card of the night and turn in their poker hands while rocking to band King Me.
"Support from our local bars has been top-notch and we're really looking forward to bringing in some charity dollars to help fight ALS," said Englert. "We'd like to see a couple hundred or more Wichitans out on Nov. 23 having a great time for themselves and for charity."
For more information about the Five-Card Draw Pub Crawl, rules, prizes or bar locations, please contact Jeff Englert at (316) 214-3436 or Kathleen Wille, ALSA awareness and development coordinator, at (316) 612-0188.