What started for Tony Scioli as a search for an event sponsor turned into a business opportunity for the Buffalo, N.Y.-based owner of Elite Poker Runs LLC, which is organizing and producing the Erie, Mentor, Western New York and Grand Island poker runs this year. According to Scioli, he met with representatives of Lumishore during the Miami International Boat Show in February with the hope of bringing on the well-known underwater LED lighting company as a poker run backer and ended up as a Lumishore dealer in the Buffalo area.

Scioli plans to have his 30-foot Concept center console equipped with Lumishore underwater LEDs in time for the Erie Poker Run in June.

“As we started talking, they suggested that I might as well benefit from our relationship,” said Scioli. “They didn’t have a dealer in our area, so I agreed.

“We’re going to equip my 30-foot Concept center console with three Lumishore color-changing underwater LEDs on the transom,” he continued. “It’s an amazing light package. It should be the brightest boat at the Erie Poker Run.”

Scioli said that’s he’s offering free entry to at least one of Elite’s poker runs with a purchase of a Lumishore underwater LED product, which range in price from hundreds to thousands of dollars, through him.

“They have entry-level lights that start at $200 and other packages that start at $6,000,” he said. “If someone buys one light, they’ll get free entry to one run. If someone buys a big package, they’ll get free entry to all my poker runs. I really believe Lumishore offers the best underwater LEDs out there. We’re going to have a prize, sponsored by Lumishore, for the best underwater lights at all of our poker runs this year.”

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