This is where the rubber meets the road. The second-annual Relay for Life of Barton County bicycle poker run is set for Saturday, June 25, at Brit Spaugh Park.
The event will start at 9:45 a.m. in the Wetlands at Great Bend parking lot with pre-registration beginning at 9 a.m. Prizes will be awarded at noon at the starting point. The entry fee is $25 per rider and $10 for an extra hand. Riders who are 14 and older are invited to participate. Since this is not a race, riders can start anytime after 9:45 a.m.
Participants will ride a 10-mile route with a stop at each mile where they will pick up one card per stop to make a poker hand. All poker hands are kept secret until the rider reaches the end of the course, where officials will open envelopes and reveal the cards.
First prize will be a $100 Great Bend Chamber of Commerce gift certificate, second prize a $75 certificate and third prize a $50 certificate. There will also be a child’s prize, for a rider 12 or under.
 T-shirts will be provided. Healthful snacks and water will be available at each stop. 
“This year’s theme was ‘There’s No Place Like Hope,” said 2011 Barton County event chairperson Linn Hogg. “This hope comes from a lot of things, including taking care of one’s self.”
 This fight not only involves early screenings, it also includes diet and fitness. “This made a bike ride an ideal way to start these habits and help Relay at the same time,” Hogg said.
 “It’s not just about raising money,” Hogg said. “It’s also about raising awareness.”
With a goal of $125,000, the Barton County Relay took place June 10 and 11. The target was met, but Hogg said the committee still needs to raise funds, about $5,000, to cover the expenses.
“We are close,” she said. So far, teams, donors and sponsors have turned in around $129,000, and there are still some fund raisers in the works. They have until Aug. 15 to raise funds for the 2011 Relay.
The poker run is being sponsored by the Great Bend Tribune team.
 For more information, call Hogg at 620-617-3640.