“Wave your arms if you need help,” Kelly Thompson of Lake County Search & Rescue instructed a small boy on a neon-green kayak. That was just one of the safety tips she offered before nudging him away from shore at Boettcher Park to join the rest of his family in the Flathead Lakers Poker Paddle.

Next up was his sister, who was securely cuffed to her Standup Paddle Board and fitted with her life vest before joining her brother.

According to Amber Stanfield, a development associate with the Lakers, Thompson gave safety talks before each launch. The card dealers at the seven Poker Paddle stops were each equipped with walkie-talkies to help them keep a close eye on the event’s 143 participants as they navigated the lake’s choppy waters Saturday morning. As an additional precaution, photos were taken of each paddler before they launched.

In addition to vessels crewed by Lake County Search and Rescue and the Sheriff’s Department, veteran long-distance swim coach Mark Johnston trailed the handful of swimmers in his boat while Lakers board president Jan Swanson had assigned her husband to keep vigil on a jet ski.

This year’s route began at Boettcher, with paddlers and swimmers in the 3.5-mile course heading west to the CSKT dock in front of Glacier Bank, then to the east dock at KwaTaqNuk, around Salish Point to the Flathead Lakers office, back to a boat moored in Polson Bay and then to Boettcher.

The 5.5 milers went to a dock in Mission Bay before returning to the park, and the 7 milers traveled nearly to Bird Point before turning back to Boettcher. Each picked up a waterproof card along the way, and the highest and lowest hands won prizes in the family-friendly poker game. Lunch was available from two food trucks and Veritas Grill upon their return.

Now in its eighth year, the goal of the event is to spread the Lakers name and remind the public about the organization’s mission to enhance the water quality in the Flathead watershed.

“Not everyone can afford large donations or a continuous membership,” said Stanfield, who has helped organize the Poker Paddle since she began working for the Flathead Lakers three years ago. “We really wanted to reach out to everybody and get them involved in some way.”

Participation continues to flourish, growing from around 75 in 2022 to 93 last year, and now, a record 143. “We’ve almost doubled in the three years that I've been here,” Stanfield said.

The number of poker paddlers was originally capped at 100, but with enough safety measures and volunteers in place, Stanfield believes they can manage up to 150.

Last year, the age range was from 4-to-80 years old. “We have everyone from the really young to the young at heart,” Stanfield said.

“I love getting those younger people involved so that they're aware of the Lakers, what we're doing.” Along the way, “we're helping cultivate future watershed citizens.”

The nonprofit organization welcomed a new executive director, Coby Gierke, on Monday, July 22. He replaces Kate Sheridan, who stepped down nine months ago, and brings a wealth of leadership experience in environmental conservation to his post.

Next up, the Lakers host a Summer Soirée Aug. 7 at a private home on Flathead Lake’s Black Point. The sold-out fundraiser features a private concert by Rob Quist & Great Northern, appetizers and beverages.

Keen to have a hands-on impact on water quality? Sign up for the annual Flathead Watershed Cleanup, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 10. Volunteer teams register to pick up trash in and around any waterbody in the sprawling watershed.

For more information, visit www.flatheadlakers.org.

    Flathead Lakers board member Marilyn Roberts prepares to check-in paddlers at the finish line of Saturday's Poker Paddle, which began and ended in Boettcher Park. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
  

    Two paddlers make for the finish line at Boettcher Park during Saturday's Poker Paddle, sponsored by the Flathead Lakers. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)