Westfield Lions raise over $25K at Poker for Sight tournament

Joshua Kublnick takes home $10,000 first-place prize

By JEFF LARRISON
For The Reporter

On Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15 and 16, over 260 poker players competed in the Westfield Lions Club’s semi-annual “Poker for Sight” tournament. Over $25,000 in prize money was paid out, with Joshua Kublnick coming in first place and claiming the $10,000 prize.

The first thing Kublnick said when he received his check was that it would be going toward the down payment of a house he is trying to buy.

Joshua Kublnick (front row, third from left) won first prize worth $10,000. He plans to put his winnings toward the down payment on a home. (Photo provided by Westfield Lions Club)

For the tournament, the Lions netted just over $25,000, which will go toward the numerous organizations and projects supported by the club. Prior to each of three qualifying sessions and the final round, the Lions presented $1,500 “Big Checks” to organizations that work with veterans, blind students, citizens that struggle to afford health care, and the homeless. This year’s recipients of the Big Checks were the Indiana Blind Children’s Foundation (IBCF), Pets Healing Vets, the Heart & Soul Free Clinic, and Habitat for Humanity.

The IBCF is the fundraising arm of the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Lions Clubs International places an emphasis on supporting organizations that fight the causes of blindness and helps those suffering from it. This has been part of LCI’s focus since Helen Keller challenged LCI to be “Knights of the Blind” at the 1926 LCI convention. To learn more about IBCF and the ISBVI, and how you can support them, go to IndianaBCF.org.

Pets Healing Vets is a program run by the Humane Society of Hamilton County. It works to pair up veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI with carefully selected shelter animals. Funds raised for Pets Healing Vets go to helping defray the cost of pet ownership for these veterans. You can help support this amazing program by going to HamiltonHumane.com/programs/pets-healing-vets.

The Heart & Soul Free Clinic in Westfield is an organization the Westfield Lions have been committed to supporting for several years. Providing free medical services to those who can’t afford them fits perfectly with the Lions Club’s motto “we serve”. The number of people in Hamilton County utilizing Heart & Soul’s services continues to grow every year. Please consider supporting this tremendous organization by going to HeartAndSoulClinic.org.

Prior to the championship round on Saturday night, the Lions presented Habitat for Humanity with a Big Check to help with their projects in central Indiana. Habitat for Humanity brings citizens together to help build homes for those battling homelessness and needing a hand up. You can support the Central Indiana Chapter of HFH by going to IndyHabitat.org.

The Westfield Lions’ next tournament is scheduled for April 25 and 26, 2025. To find out more about the tournament and how to register, go to LionsPoker.org.

In the meantime, the Westfield Lions are looking for men and women interested in making a difference in our community. Please go to WestfieldLions.org to find out more about the club and how to become a member.