The World’s Largest Poker Run hosted by the Red Knights MC MS Chapter IV is set to kick off at 8 a.m., this Saturday, April 18 at PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans in Picayune. The eight stop tour will culminate at the Silver Slipper Casino in Bay St. Louis where a first and second place winner will be revealed.

Corey Dorm, president of the local Red Knights Chapter — a group for past and present firefighters with a current, valid motorcycle license — said the event will be a Guinness Book of World Records fundraiser to benefit The Fallen Firefighter Survivors Foundation. While the idea was initially conceived by a Red Knight member in Florida, the concept quickly spread to other Red Knights groups throughout the country who were anxious to participate and although the Picayune chapter is a newly formed organization, it readily accepted the challenge to be a part of this momentous occasion.

“We thought it was going to be difficult and it was difficult but it’s fun,” said Dorm. “We took off running with it and it was really fun planning the event.”

The World’s Largest Poker Run is going to be made that much more exciting by the presence of the Guinness folks, who will remain at the Florida site on the day. “Right now we have 12 different states involved and over 40 different Red Knight Chapters,” said Dorm. Each state will hold their own event simultaneously.

One of the Guinness guidelines is that each location must have at least 25 motorcycles registered to count for the record. Outside of that, the poker run will also be open to cars, trucks, bikes and trikes, Dorm said.

At the end of the event, each poker run site on the day will be responsible for getting signed and witnessed documents faxed to the Florida site so that Guinness can verify that all guidelines and criteria have been met and the run was truly record setting.

For those participating in the local run, registration starts at 8 a.m. at PJ’s. To be dealt in, each rider will pay $20, passengers will pay $10 and it will cost $10 for each additional hand. After a special ceremony scheduled for 8:45 a.m., Dorm said the first bike has to be enroute by 9 a.m.

During the event, participants will visit eight locations to collect their cards for a hand of poker to be played at the eighth and final stop, the Silver Slipper Casino. First and second place winners will receive a cash prize.

All proceeds on the day will go The Fallen Firefighter Survivors Foundation, established in 2008. Dorm said last year alone 115 firefighters died in the line of duty. This charity strives to get badly needed funds to the families of fallen firefighters who often have to wait long periods of time, wading through tremendous burdens, before they receive any compensation on behalf of their loved one.

To find out more about participating in this record setting, fundraising event, contact Corey Dorm at 601-273-1871 or Mike Dunaway at 601-347-9216.