Marine
Mercury Racing Powers Up Chicago Poker Run
Brunswick Corporation Donates $1,000 to Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago FOND DU LAC, Wis. July 31, 2006 – Mercury Racing, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), sponsored the Chicago Powerboat Club's second annual Chicago Poker Run Saturday, July 22.
The event consisted of two runs. The first run was a 74-mile round trip from the East Chicago Resorts Casino & Marina in East Chicago, Ind., to card stops in Michigan City and Hammond. The afternoon run took participants to card stops along the picturesque Chicago, waterfront and back to the East Chicago Resorts Casino & Marina. Lake Michigan presented over 80 boats with choppy five- to eight-foot seas. The event featured all major performance boat brands including Baja, Cigarette, Fountain, Formula, Outerlimits and Nor-Tech.
All proceeds from the event, including Mercury Racing's event sponsorship and a $1,000 contribution from Brunswick Corporation, were donated to Children's Memorial Hospital of Chicago.
Staffed with top pediatric specialists and award-winning nurses, Children's Memorial Hospital is Illinois' only freestanding hospital exclusively for kids. The hospital offers the latest child-specific technologies and provides extensive kid-focused experiences.
“We are proud to be associated with event organizer Mark Smith and the Chicago Power Boat Club,” said Rick Mackie, senior marketing manager – Mercury Racing. “Their event is first-class, and we praise them for supporting Children's Memorial Hospital.”
Mackie presented a $1,000 to Children's Memorial Hospital on behalf of the Brunswick Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization that supports causes and projects that are salutary to the business interests of Brunswick Corporation.
“Having Mercury Racing as a primary sponsor gives the Chicago Poker Run even more credibility as a major event,” said Smith. “Without sponsors such as Mercury, this event would not be possible.”
The Chicago Powerboat Club is a not-for-profit organization run by nine directors who volunteer a great deal of time to raise money for Children's Memorial Hospital and to organize fun events for over 140 members in six states.
“The Resorts Casino and East Chicago Marina is an ideal location for a poker run,” said Smith. “The casino gives an added entertainment value for everyone to enjoy. The 2007 Chicago Poker Run will feature an exotic car show.”
The event was well covered by the media. Powerboat Magazine will feature the 2006 Poker Run with dramatic photography of the boats in low-level flight over the rough seas. The event will also be featured in a future issue of Extreme Boats magazine and is covered on www.offshoreonly.com. American Power Boat Television's coverage of the event will air Aug. 21, during primetime at 8:30 p.m. EDT. American Power Boat Television is broadcast nationally on The Water Channel, Dish Network Satellite Television – channel 216. Each episode of American Powerboat Television can also be streamed on demand from www.offshoreonly.com. The episode featuring the Chicago Poker Run will be
available August 28th on www.offshoreonly.com in the general discussion section of the site.
Scott Shogren, owner of Shogren Performance Marine, presented the best poker hand to win the event. Shogren Performance Marine, located in Waukegan, Ill., is the world's largest Fountain Powerboats dealer. Vic Spellberg of Formula Boats won the “Frequent Flyer Award” for the event. Spellberg was recognized for spending the greatest amount of time airborne in his Mercury Racing 700 SCi powered Formula FAS3Tech® performance boat.
Rick Mackie
Mercury Racing
Senior Marketing Manager
Phone: 920-924-2032
FAX: 920-921-6533
E-mail: rmackie@mercmarine.com
