Sun City residents enjoy St. Patrick's Day run/walk

Approximately 70 Sun City Summerlin residents came out on March 16 for the community's first St. Patrick's Day Poker Fun Run/Walk. Most running events reward those who finish the course first. This run rewarded those who played the best poker.

"They like to gamble up here," said Jenny Wells, Sun City's fitness director. "I just wanted the event to be something fun."

Participants who ran or walked the 5-kilometer (3-mile) course played a game of 5-card Stud with cards dealt at a station on the course. Those who completed the 1-mile course played a hand of blackjack.

E.J. Zulauf, 69, walked the course and won at blackjack, picking up a free tin of Keebler cookies. Zulauf has competed in the Senior Olympics as a swimmer and won a triathalon for seniors a few years ago, but said jogging is not his preferred method of exercise.

"I stay in shape being a pallbearer for my buddies who jog," he joked.

Sam's Club sponsored the event and provided prizes to the participants. Poker winners and winners of the Best Costume contest won gift certificates to one of the restaurants in Sun City Summerlin.

Harry Emrick, 68, won the 5K race, jogging the course with a time just less than 29 minutes. With only a pair of sixes, though, Emrick didn't win any prizes.

"I got nothing in poker," he said. "I started out going for a flush, but it didn't work out that way."

Nobody drew a flush during the event. Three queens was the best hand of the day though Jean Modes, president of the community's Poker Club and head card judge, said there were "a couple of near-miss straights."

This was Wells' first event as fitness director at Sun City and she came up the idea for the St. Patrick's Day Poker Fun Run/Walk. She said this will be the first of many new fitness events for the community.

Sun City's Ninth Annual Pancake run happens next month and in May, the community will participate in a Senior Health and Fitness Day triathalon.