Members of motorcycle clubs from the Pocono and Lehigh Valley region will join forces in Monroe County to raise funds for a nonprofit organization that serves individuals and families affected by vision loss.

Sights for Hope and the Northeast PA Inter Club will hold the first Bikers for Sight poker run on Oct. 11, presented by PABikerLawyer.com.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. The run starts at 9:30 a.m., and is expected to end between noon and 1 p.m.

All proceeds will benefit Sights for Hope. Sights for Hope’s client-led band, Limitless, will perform at the finish line tent, and tricky tray auction will be held.

The run will start at Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson at 110 Hill Motor Lodge Road, Tannersville. The total route is 44.7 miles.

The first stop is Stacked Deli at 892 PA-940, Suite 101, Pocono Lake, followed by The Brick Lounge at 3827 PA-115 in Blakeslee, and The Lakeside at 5154 Hamilton South, Saylorsburg. The run will end at Blue Ridge Estate Vineyard & Winery at 239 Blue Ridge Road, Saylorsburg.

The event will also have a finish line tent with food, tricky tray items and performance by the band Limitless.

Bikers for Sight was inspired by Sights for Hope client Wendy Smentkowski, who was an avid rider before losing most of her sight. She also is confined presently to her home due to other health conditions.

Smentkowski, a member of the Christian Motorcycle Club, convinced the Northeast PA Inter Club, an association of Pocono-area biker clubs, to adopt Sights for Hope as one of its charitable causes.

Dennis Zehner, executive director and CEO, Sights For Hope, said Smentkowski played a pivotal role in seeing that this event would come to fruition.

“Wendy was the genesis of the idea; she had lost a good deal of her vision, came to Sights for Hope, and was dealing with the emotional aspect of sight loss,” Zehner said. “She felt like her life didn’t have as much meaning anymore, she brought this idea, felt like it gave her life a greater meaning and a greater purpose.”

That the concept for the event came from Smentkowski further cemented its significance, Zehner said.

“We’re also excited that it comes from a client, because we consider ourselves a community, and a lot of the clients consider themselves part of the family,” he said. “It reflects being able to overcome life and being fulfilled.”

Zehner said the organization has been “looking for years for a signature event, and think this might be it.”

“The biker clubs have been outstanding throughout this endeavor,” he said. “In terms of events, I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a warmer, more dedicated group of people who wear their hearts on their sleeves in many ways.”

Sights for Hope has existed since 1928 and has served Monroe County since 2003. It provides adaptive skills training for people with limited or no vision, boosts their confidence, expands their access to essential services, and helps them obtain assistive devices for independence.

“It’s to show them that while something bad has happened, your life is not over,” Zehner said. “Most things in life can be done, just in a different manner.”

Additional details are available at SightsforHope.org/BikersforSight.