Supporters of the 14th annual Borden Light Marina Charity Poker Run in Fall River, Mass., raised $11,000 in support of Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island and its mission of creating life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

The owners of Borden Light Marina, Michael Lund (left) and Nicole Lund (right), presented an $11,000 donation to Hillary Muntz of Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island—and they intend to raise much more money this year Photo courtesy Hillary Muntz

According to a press release from the organization, the event’s fundraising achievement was significant given that the 2020 in-person event was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And it was especially meaningful, as past sponsors and participants from the performance boat community rallied not only to support wish children, but also to honor the late Paul Fiore, an industry giant and legend, who passed away in late 2019.

In lieu of the cancelled event, Borden Light Marina owners Michael and Nicole Lund sought to continue their support for Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island by requesting all event donations be made in Fiore’s name. Fortunately major event sponsors and contributors fulfilled their 2020 event commitments in honor of Fiore, enabling the Borden Light Marina community to continue its tradition of generosity in helping to bring hope, strength, and joy to local Make-A-Wish children. The marina also held a private ceremony in the open water of Point Judith, R.I., to remember Fiore.

“Here at Make-A-Wish, we are very grateful to have charity partners like Nicole and Michael,” said Hillary Muntz, community partnerships manager at Make-A-Wish. “Their boating community experienced an incredible loss, alongside the disappointment of a cancelled event, and turned it into something so positive for their community.”

The annual Borden Light Marina Charity Poker Run has raised more than $200,000 for a variety of charities throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since its inception. In 2019, $35,000 was raised for Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island, which helped grant three special wishes for children with critical illness; two in Massachusetts and one in Rhode Island.

This year, the Borden Light Marina community will come together for the poker run to benefit Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island on Aug. 7, 2021. For more on the event, visit the poker run website or its Facebook page, and to learn more about Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island and how you can get involved, visit massri.wish.org.

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