J.S. Bowen Previous Next

Wade Risley Wade Risley is our Nephew. He was born on July 22nd 1998 and served as a Specialist in the United States Army. Previous Next

Kiley Woosley Birthdate: FEB. 1990 NAVY Picture taken on the deck of The CVN 76 Ronald Reagan 9/09/11 after second deployment to Persian Gulf coming into port in Coronado Previous Next

Mark Risley Mark Risley is my Husband’s life long best friend he was born on April 23rd 1968 and passed away on July 10th 2021. He served in The United States Army and served in desert storm and was in the infantry. Previous Next

Billie Ercel Franks Previous Next

Benson Ledbetter World War II veteran. Staff Sergeant, Battery B 655th Field Artillery Battalion. Served from the 12th of June 1943 until his honorable discharge 22nd of January 1946. He served in the Pacific and Asianic theater. Benson was born on April 1923. And after serving in the War and surviving that, he tragically died in an oil rig accident in March of 1949 in West Texas. Previous Next

Jacquelyne Huie Born 12/16/1982 served in the United States Air Force from 28 Aug 2001 through September 2021. Previous Next

Alfred Raiche 9/19/35-9/30/17 He served his country in the US Air Force and served his family and community all the days of his life! A Nevada native, a hunting and fishing enthusiast and true patriot in every sense of the word! He loved God, guns and his country! God Bless the USA! Previous Next

John Logoni Army Ground Forces 1945 (Deceased) Previous Next

Richard Stanley March 1948 - October 2017 Marines Served 2 tours in Vietnam 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 Registration & Sponsorship Opportunities 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 CLOSED - Reopening shortly after our event 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

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. Closed - Opening again soon after our event 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. Closed - Opening again soon after our event