DANVILLE — The Danville Firefighters IAFF Local 429 and the Friendly Tavern are joining forces to sponsor their 13th annual poker run on July 9.

Registration begins at 10 a.m. at the tavern, 216 E. South St., Danville. Riders may pre-register at the tavern from July 4 through July 8.

The entry fee is $15 per person. Additional hands may be purchased for $5. People do not need to ride a motorcycle to participate; any legal form of transportation will do.

The ride begins at noon.

From the tavern, riders will travel to four other locations where they will receive a playing card. Once they have completed all four stops, they will return to the Friendly Tavern for their fifth card.

The rider who has the best poker hand will win $500.

The event will feature a raffle drawing for $500 worth of Harley Davidson merchandise and more than $2,500 in other prizes. There also will be a 50/50 drawing and door prizes.

The event will conclude with a live concert by "Stone Bluff."

Food will be provided to poker run riders. Those who did not participate in the poker run can purchase food for $5.

This year, the proceeds will benefit Vermilion County's CASA and Peer Court programs.

"We ask for your generosity in donations to reach our goal to raise much-needed funds for these two worthy programs," said Justin Watt, the event coordinator.

CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, recruits, trains and manages trained volunteers who advocate for area children up to 18 years old who are in the foster care system. The volunteers advocates for the child by gather information about him or her by talking to caretakers, caseworkers, teachers, doctors, counselors and other service providers, then report their findings to a judge. Then the judge uses that independent information to help make decisions about the child's case.

Peer Court is a juvenile diversion program that works with first-time, non-violent juvenile offenders who are in trouble for less serious crimes such as shoplifting, fighting and violating curfew. When the offenders, who must admit their guilt before taking part in the program, appear in court, other youths acting as prosecutors and defense attorneys argue for what they feel is an appropriate sentence.

Then youths acting as jurors deliberate and return sentences of restitution, written apologies, community service and service as a Peer Court juror.

According to a recent study, more than 1,300 youths have been through the program since it started 16 years ago. Of those youths, 83 percent have not reoffended.

Organizers said the Friendly Tavern started the event years ago with a group of 80 motorcyclists. Since then, the event, which now includes the firefighters' union, has drawn more than 700 participants including 500 motorcyclists.

In the past 12 years, the poker runs raised more than $62,000 for charitable organizations and programs including Shop with With a Cop, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Faith in Action, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Family Readiness Group, Aunt Martha's Health Clinic, the Danville Area Food Pantry, the Red, White & Blue Child Passenger Safety Team and Project Success.