The Donate to Heartbeats initiative provides vital support to local veterans through critical home repairs, safety enhancements, and health-related improvements that ensure a safe and livable environment. We also offer financial assistance for essential living expenses, helping veterans maintain stability and dignity as they navigate life after service. The Donate to Heartbeats initiative provides vital support to local veterans through critical home repairs, safety enhancements, and health-related improvements that ensure a safe and livable environment. We also offer financial assistance for essential living expenses, helping veterans maintain stability and dignity as they navigate life after service If you are a Veteran or know a Veteran who could use some help - please click the link below or share it! We will reach out asap to gather information needed asap Please allow up to 4 weeks for approval (Emergency situations may be reviewed sooner) To expedite this process for our veterans affected by the fires, we will only require the following documentation for grant approval specific to those affected by fires: - Proof of military service (e.g., DD214, Veteran ID, VA Benefit Summary Letter) - Proof of Residence in affected area Grant Coordinator - Connie 1-530-908-3052 grants@thefern45.com What is needed? Please email grants@thefern45.com the following documents to your application (even if you have requested assistance before) - Drivers License - 2 Months MOST Recent Bank Statements - Proof of military service (e.g., DD214, Veteran ID, VA Benefit Summary Letter) - Mortgage/Rent Statement (if requesting assistance with these ) * Please note, If we do not receive proof of veteran status or requested documentation, your application will be automatically denied. Failure to submit the required documents will result in the automatic denial of your grant application. Don't have your DD214? Log in to your VA.gov profile and locate it in your profile. If you do not have a profile or do not know how to access it, please call 702-791-9000 and they will walk you through the process of obtaining your DD214 online. Grant Application

Charles Walsh Army Previous Next

Paul Maynard US Army, Maynard service first generation. Previous Next

Justin Kurdupski Marines Served 2 Tours, Desert Storm and Somalia Previous Next

UPCOMING EVENTS Jun 28, 2026 Java & Comrades: Legacy Airbase Super exciting opportunities for our local Veterans and first-responders during our June Java & Comrades! Read More Jun 28, 2026 Java & Comrades: Legacy Airbase Super exciting opportunities for our local Veterans and first-responders during our June Java & Comrades! Read More Jun 28, 2026 Java & Comrades: Legacy Airbase Super exciting opportunities for our local Veterans and first-responders during our June Java & Comrades! Read More

Dustin Watt Our son was in the US Navy ~ joining with a SWCC contract, serving from 2016 - 2021. Due to a training related career ending injury, he completed his Service at NAS Fallon with the Special Warfare team. Super proud of our Sailor! Previous Next

Michael Worthing 02/22/1947-02/18/2021 Vietnam veteran Bronze Star Medal Loving Father and Husband Previous Next

The Fern 45 is a non-profit organization that holds an annual off-road poker run to raise money for the Nevada Veteran's Coalition and other Veterans programs. Video provided by Photoflight Productions, LLC - Official Media of The Fern 45 CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE REGISTRATION OPEN Wait..I'm New! SIGN ME UP! VIP Closes Oct 1 ALL ONLINE SALES Close Nov 1 ALL PERSONS ON COURSE MUST HAVE WRISTBAND BASIC INFO I want all the info Location Reno-Fernley Raceway Park (1965 S Hwy 95A, Fernley, NV 89408) What is it? The Fern 45 is what happens when you mix off-roading, camping, live entertainment, fundraising, and a whole lot of people who refuse to have a boring weekend and love to support veterans! The "45" is because our very first poker run course was 45 miles long! All sorts of vehicles are welcome - dirtbikes, ATVs, SxS, Jeeps & more! Pricing It's FREE to come check out the venue , enjoy the vendors and live music. Pricing for the Poker Run course and other events during the weekend vary - check out our registration page for all that info. Where does all the money raised go? Our tagline is "FOR OUR VETS " and that's exactly where it goes. We present a check to the crowd at the end of the weekend with the amount of money raised in those three days (last year we presented a check of $120,000) to our veterans. That money is then distributed to various other non-profits supporting our veterans. We make it a point to physically bring the check to those non-profits and hang out for a a bit during our most favorite day of the year (the day we give the money away!) Check out our donations page for more info! I am a Veteran, do you have any resources for me? Absolutely! We have our Donate to Heartbeats program. This is a program initiated in 2023 to directly help veterans with essential needs of living (mortgages, rent, groceries, medical bills, etc.) Plus, we have very close relationships with local resources if we cannot help you out and can typically get you in touch with someone within the week to get an answer! SPONSORSHIPS NOW OPEN SPONSORSHIPS NOW OPEN SPONSORSHIPS NOW OPEN SPONSORSHIPS NOW OPEN Sponsorship Form Download Sponsorship Proposal PDF 2026 SPONSORSHIPS NOW OPEN Thinking about sponsoring an event? The Fern 45 is a perfect one to sponsor! 100% of what we make goes towards our veterans. Your sponsorship helps us lower the cost of our event and make that check at the end bigger. The Donate to Heartbeats initiative provides vital support to local veterans through critical home repairs, safety enhancements, and health-related improvements that ensure a safe and livable environment. We also offer financial assistance for essential living expenses, helping veterans maintain stability and dignity as they navigate life after service. Our Donate to Heartbeats Grant is open! If you are a Veteran or know a Veteran who could use some help - please click the link below or share it! We will reach out asap to gather information needed Please allow up to 4 weeks for approval (Emergency situations may be approved sooner) Grant Coordinator - Connie 1-530-908-3052 grants@thefern45.com Grant Application FAQ As you can imagine, we get a lot of questions! Check out the FAQ page and your questions just might already be answered! GO TO FAQ PAGE The sole purpose of our non-profit organization is to raise money each year for the Nevada Veteran's Coalition and other veteran's programs. We provide an opportunity for our community to celebrate their loved veterans, past and present, while also getting to experience our beautiful Nevada backyard. RAISING MONEY FOR OUR VETERANS SINCE 2015 LEARN MORE

This is the page that holds all the information you could ever dream of knowing about The Fern 45. ALL THE INFO YOU NEED TO KNOW ...seriously theres a lot of info down here. ENTRY TO VENUE IS FREE Purchase required for events like Poker Run, Vendor Run, Texas Hold Em, Cornhole, etc. POKER RUN TICKET BREAKDOWN If you plan on going on the Poker Run on Saturday - every person in the vehicle going on the course needs a wristband. The vehicle going on the course needs a course entry sticker. GA Poker Card & Wristband VIP Poker Card, Wristband, Food provided by Al Punto (Bolognese, Spaghetti or Alfredo and pesto with Garlic Cheese bread & Caesar Salad ) after run & Event Shirt THIS IS THE 2025 POKER CARD! COURSE ENTRY Course Entry Sticker - This goes on the vehicle going on the course (Windshield, bumper, window, anywhere visible to our volunteers) GROUP options Group VIP Packages for 4 people, 6 people and 8 people are available - Includes VIP tickets, campsites and course entry. Save some money! *There is no ticket option for someone who just wants to ride along, if you are going on the course, you need a wristband - if for some reason you don't want to play your card, give it to someone else to play. VERY BASIC SCHEDULE See Detailed schedule THURS Texas Hold Em Tourney Camping Opens Food Trucks Bar Vendors Gun Raffles Vendor Run Firepits Live Music by Sergio Gutierrez FRI Cornhole Tourney Camping still open Food Trucks Bar Vendors Gun Raffles Firepits Vendor Run Winner Announced Cornhole Tourney Live Painting By Sergio *New Event - Announced soon* Live Music by Madeiros Drive SAT Off-Road Poker Run One more night of Camping Food Trucks Bar Vendors Gun Raffle Winner(s) Announced Live Painting by Sergio Live Auction Huge Raffle Firepits Live Music by Trent Beaver COURSE INFO THIS IS AN OFF-ROAD COURSE, NOT AN OPEN BAR. NV LAW STILL APPLIES NO DRINKING AND DRIVING! DRIVE WITH YOUR LIGHTS ON ... for some silly reason it gets dusty out there. RIBBON ON THE LEFT Red, White and Blue ribbon will be placed on the LEFT side of the roads/trails. Some will be on stakes and some will be on bushes. If these end up on the passengers side, yer goin' backwards. GO THIS WAY These arrows point the direction you are supposed to go. The other side of these have a big W on them. DANGER THIS WAY If you see one of these together, danger is ahead. There could be a big rock, a deep creek, a sharp turn... it's your sign to SLOW DOWN and be ready. YER GOIN' BACKWARDS Self-explanatory. Turn around immediately. MANDATORY RIDERS MEETING 8a Saturday 11/7 at the Stage Safety: This is not a closed course! The public can still be out and about (Bikers, hikers, etc.) Avoid wild horses and other wildlife - SLOW DOWN and respect them. Sweepers, Medics and Course Marshalls will be on the course if problems arise. Call 911 if an emergency occurs. Your poker card will have numbers to call on it if 911 is not necessary. Course Gates Open : 9a-11a - You will be turned around at the gate if you are not on the course by 11a. DO NOT RIDE ON THE COURSE PRIOR TO SATURDAY! Access: Every person in the vehicle going on the course needs a wristband, this includes kiddos! Every vehicle going on the course needs a Course Entry sticker. Length : 45 mile (ish) Single-Loop Course - no oncoming traffic areas. Terrain : Typical NV backroads with a few "steeper" downhills, creek crossings, a couple "tight" spaces and short "hill climbs". If you have 4 wheel drive - you're good! This course is not just gas line roads and overly traveled roads, our President/Founder and his course crew do their best to mix it up every year (within our permitted area of course) Vehicles : SxS, Dirtbikes, ATVs, Jeeps...We do not recommend bigger vehicles. Passing : THIS IS NOT A RACE . We try our best to get the fast guys out first so everyone can have their own kind of fun, be respectful on the course . This isn't a desert race, nobody is required to pull over so you can go faster. CARDSTOPS This is the Poker Card (from 2025) What do I do with it? Put your name on it, take it with you on the course. The Door Prize ticket on the bottom tears off and goes into the Door Prize bucket on/near the stage. There are 4 cardstops on the course, it will be very obvious when you are coming up to one. Make sure to stop and pull a number from one of the volunteers in the bright vests. What do the numbers mean? Each number corresponds to a card on a board after the poker run is over. You won't know your hand until you are done. You cannot pull the same number twice, that would be like potentially having two ace of spades in a hand and that's not allowed in poker. What if my hand isn't winning? Thanks for playing! You can toss your card in the trash OR if your hand is close to beating the current winning hand, you can purchase another number pull at the 6th cardstop for $20. CAMPING Gates open at Noon on Thursday DO NOT COME ANY EARLIER THAN THAT, please. I purchased a Campsite Online Great! You will receive your campsite pass when you come through the gate. Place this on the rearview mirror of the vehicle staying in your campsite (or your dash) I need to purchase at the event No problem, our volunteers at the registration/check-in trailer will take your money! Just make sure to put it on your vehicle asap. Are there hook-ups? Dump-Station? Water? This is a dry campsite. There are a few gas stations nearby and an RV Park with dump stations and water. I want to camp next to a specific person! Our campsites are first come, first serve. If you purchased a VIP Group Package, those sites will be next to each other. Be respectful of others. What is the Vendor Run that my campsite comes with? Check that out here! CAMP RULES - No more than three spots saved in a "U" (unless you purchased an Elite VIP group package) - (1) Full Sized vehicle per campsite - additional parking available North and East of the circle track - NO FIREWORKS, zero tolerance. - Fires MUST be in pits - "Rock circle" not permitted. Smudge pots OK. - 5mph in Camping area - be courteous of others and watch out for the kiddos - NO PIT RIDING - find somewhere in the desert to ride, if you are found doing donuts or speeding through campsites you will be asked to leave. - Pick up your trash! Leave no trace . - DOGS MUST BE LEASHED Watch out for those sasquatches! TEXAS HOLD EM Thursday Night under the Tent (11/5) Buy-In : $75 for $5000 in Chips (multiple rebuy options before and during tourney ) Winner - $300 Cash & a surprise! SPONSORED BY POKER PROS Sign up CORNHOLE Friday Night Under the Tent (11/6) Cost : $50 Per Team (Team consists of two people) 1st Place : $200 + 2 sets of custom Fern45 boards & bags! 2nd Place : $300 3rd Place : $200 SPONSORED BY Sign up VENDOR RUN Thursday - Friday Each of our vendors will provide something to add to a huge gift prize (or prizes) Once you visit all the vendors and get your card stamped, take your card to the designated area to be entered to win that prize! Purchase at each vendor is not necessary Winner announced Friday - Must be present to win. Prize must be claimed by the individual who wrote their name on their entry. Entries may not be claimed by family members, friends, or representatives on behalf of another person. Sign up I want to be a vendor! Texas Hold Em Cornhole Tourney Vendor Run NEW EVENT COMING SOON

Rob Harris Marines Previous Next

Erin Maynard US Army, Maynard service third generation. Previous Next

Vance Gooch US Navy Previous Next