CRESTVIEW — The FamiliesFirst Network has an extra $1,500 for helping area foster families following the Iron Order Motorcycle Club of Crestview's weekend Poker Run.
Collections came from local businesses, participation in Saturday's event and raffle ticket sales.
Participants finished their five-stop poker run at Split Oaks Saloon on James Lee Boulevard, where attendees could purchase raffle tickets, buy beverages and food and watch the local band Rowdy Friends perform.
Attendees Angela and Wade Norris of Crestview, who are considering club membership, said they didn't expect to win three prize packages that included concert tickets and free oil changes.
And they appreciate the club's underlying purpose.
"That is what this club is about: helping the community," Wade said.
Community fundraisers help FamiliesFirst Network meet needs that state funding can't fully fulfill, Linda Roush, Families First Network's community relations director, said.
"Because we are funded though the state of Florida, we are somewhat limited in how we use those funds," she said.
Additional funding, such as that from the Poker Run, can go toward costs of repairing a foster family's vehicle or purchasing diapers for the household.
The club patched FFN representative Mary Culbertson as an honorary Iron Maiden.
Culbertson said she is "blessed" and "honored" to be an honorary member of the club.
"They are an amazing group of people," she said. "This agency is blessed to have them as a resource."
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Motorcycle club raises $1,500 for foster families advocate