The sixth annual Leverick Bay Dinghy Poker Run took place on Tuesday in Virgin Gorda’s North Sound.

Dinghies with four to six people competed for the best poker hand with stops at various bars and restaurants.

All told, 74 hands were sold, which raised about $3,700 for Animal Rescue and Control of VG. The event has helped raise almost $10,000 for the organisation since it started six years ago.

The event fell short by 10 hands from last year’s event, but organisers said participants spent more money and helped raise just as much as previous years.

The dinghy poker run was started by Mark Paulson and Leverick Bay Resort Manager Nick Willis as a way to raise money for charity.

“It started out as a crazy idea, and Nick thought it would work,” Mr. Paulson said. “We basically get wet and have a good time in the sound.”

Participants dressed as “pirates and wenches” waged battle against one another at sea aboard dinghies with buckets of water and squirt guns, he explained.

Participants collected their first card at Leverick Bay Resort before heading to the Sandbox Beach Bar on Prickly Pear to pick up their second. The lunch stop was at Saba Rock Resort, and the fourth card was collected at Bitter End Yacht Club. The last stop in North Sound was at the Fat Virgin, before participants collected a wild card back at the starting point.

 Boost to business

The onslaught of visitors was a healthy boost to businesses, organisers said. On average, the participants stopped for about an hour, buying food and drinks.

“It brings money in,” Mr. Willis said.

Over the years the event hasn’t changed much, but it has received more support from boaters and residents, according to organisers.

It started out with a few bareboaters, who promoted the event through the online forum traveltalkonline.com. But now the event is getting more participation from people Mr. Paulson calls “armchair admirals.”

“It has mainly just grown more and more every year,” Mr. Paulson said.

The event received support from The Moorings, which provided five dinghies. This enabled organisers to charge land-based participants for use of the dinghies, boosting the amount of money donated to the charity.

The winners received prizes provided by North Sound businesses, including Saba Rock, which donated a silver doubloon.

 Giving back

Mr. Paulson, who visits the Virgin Islands at least three times a year from California, said giving back to the community is just as important as having fun.

“It means a lot to all of us,” he said. “A lot of us are animal lovers. I have two recues at home. You can judge a society by the way they treat their animals — the Dalai Lama said that. I can see a lot of improvement needs to be done on Tortola. So this is a step in the right direction for Virgin Gorda.”

Organising and hosting the event was an easy decision for Mr. Willis, who also organises the Leverick Bay Poker Run, which takes hundreds of participants around the VI. Most of the participants are sailors and have dinghies, so the event was slated during the “slower” time of the year, and it has been a success ever since, according to Mr. Willis.

“It is a big thank you to all these TTOLers and boaters who come to the Virgin Islands two or three times a year,” he said. “It creates something different for them to have fun and create camaraderie.”