Ron Emser has been helping his hometown of Euclid by organizing a charity pub crawl through 10 bars in the area and in the East Side of Cleveland for five years now.
The event is called Poker Run, and the aim is to get a new generation out to the taverns, bars and pubs of his youth and encourage them to buy local.
How it works is, a pub crawler picks up a punch card with a $20 donation at their first participating bar, then takes it to each of the other nine to take part. Pub crawlers can then have the chance to win cash prizes by taking their cards and entering them at the final party at Paradise Island Saloon on Saturday, January 14. A portion of the proceeds will be given to the Euclid Animal Shelter after prizes have been given and bar expenses have been met. Emser says last year, a total of $1,103 was donated. The bars in turn get exposure to new patrons.
Emser, a 57-year-old graphic artist and web designer, explains how he was inspired to organize the annual event, “A decade ago, when my daughter would come home from college, I noticed that she and her friends never patronized the classic old bars of Euclid. They would get together at trendy new places that had no history. I called them McTaverns.”
He sentimentally recalls the taverns of his youth, saying, “I’m from the generation where your dad used to take us kids to the local watering hole. Places I call beer joints. That’s where you learned all of life’s important lessons.”
The following is a list of the participating bars:
Paradise Island Saloon – This restaurant-pub features a tropical theme.
Scoreboard Tavern – Pegged “a man’s bar,” this is a straight-up shot and beer place. It features a pool table and not a lot to eat.
Stevenson’s Bar & Grille – This place features a nice beer menu along with award-winning burgers at an amazing price.
Sticks Pub & Grille – Located on Briardale Greens Golf Course, this is a golfer’s ultimate watering hole.
Tradewinds – Owner Jack “Murph” Murphy is a former truck driver who has been on the scene for over 30 years. He is an icon, and his pub is a home away from home for a lot of people.
2nd Chance Lounge – A great place to catch up on the news over a cold beer while the bands play some serious blues music in the background.
BG’s Old World Tavern – A great old tavern with a good crowd and a nice place to go dancing.
Cebars Euclid Tavern – A long-time joint whose owners go back two generations in the Cebar family and are huge proponents of live music on a regular basis.
Coach’s Place – This place has a historical and features a four-sided bar and a pool table.
Paddy’s Pour Haus – Another long-time joint with an Irish feel owned by the Delaney family.
