Support Quad Cities VFWs With The Banding4Benefits 3rd Annual Poker Run

The 3rd annual Banding4Benefits Poker Run is happening June 21 in the Quad Cities to support our local VFWs.

The ride starts with breakfast and continues through lunch as you cruise with friends to local VFWs that you can see below.

Supporting Our Local VFWs

Banding4Benefits is an organization that was founded in 2023 by Matt Kershner.

Matt says, "The idea for this organization came from my father, who always gave to anything vet-related, and POW MIA, or anything to help with our troops, it's because his brother, my uncle Todd, served in the Marines. After he passed, my father made sure we always gave back. So we did every time we were together up until my father's passing. I took his motorcycle and made it a tribute motorcycle to honor my father, since he didn't serve, and then to honor my Uncle Todd."

The Banding4Benefits Poker Run chooses 5 VFWs to help around the Quad Cities.

The group rides to each VFW on the list below to thank and talk to those Vets. At each VFW, the rider and passenger buy a drink chip for the Veterans at the bar. The bartenders at the VFW give out drink tokens so veterans can drink for free till the drink tokens are gone.

The final stop of the Poker Run will have raffle baskets, silent auction items, live auction items, 50/50, a donation box, and the top 3 best hands for the poker run.

There will be t-shirts, koozies, & wristbands for sale with all the money from them, plus the entry fees for the rider and passenger going to all the VFWs.

VFWs offer so much help to Veterans.  Guiding them to places to get proper medical care, medical supplies.  Getting them into the Veterans Outreach Center and getting them into the proper VA Hospital.

Matt says that at the VFWs, the veterans, "Treat each other like brothers and sisters, like a family. I've seen it first hand and it's a beautiful thing."

Look at pictures from the first two years of the Poker Run below.