By Richard Carrier, Contributing Writer
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Gail Timberlake has taken her job as Powhatan’s Christmas Mother to a new level of commitment. Despite never having ridden a motorcycle, Mrs. Timberlake will join hundreds of riders in the Red Knights Chapter 1 Poker Run to raise funds for the Christmas Mother Program.

The run will kick off on July 25 with registration at Powhatan Fire Station Number One, commencing at 9 a.m. according to event organizer Leon Snyder.

The Red Knights are current and past firefighters represented by 13 motorcycle chapters across the Commonwealth. For the first time this year the motorcycle club included Powhatan in their yearly Richmond Christmas Mother fund raising efforts.

Anticipating somewhere between 100 and 300 bikes, invitations have gone out to the Blue Knights, the Christian Motorcycle Club, the Gold Wing Riders and all of the motorcycle clubs in the general area, but Snyder is anxious to let all riders know, whether club affiliated or not, that this events welcomes everyone.

Riders are encouraged to enlist sponsors but that is not a prerequisite for participation.

Entry fees are $10 per bike, five dollars per passenger and an additional $5 for an extra card.

Riders will receive their first card and pull out of Fire Station Number One at approximately 11 a.m. A long three-stop circuit will take the riders on a rural run (“one of the longest rides,” according to Snyder) to Farmville and Amelia.

The poker run’s final card will be distributed back at the end of the run at Fire Station One. A cash prize, which is controlled by the number of riders, and door prizes will be awarded at the cook-out following the run.

Mrs. Timberlake will be a passenger on the back of an experienced rider’s bike and stated “I will be riding with someone who knows what they are doing…it sounds like fun.”

The Christmas Mother’s comments were transmitted by e-mail.

She was unavailable for a personal interview as she was crewing on the Lady Slipper as it traveled down the James River in the annual Batteau Race.