Pull out your leather chaps and rev up your ride, it's time for the rubber to meet the road and raise money for local fire victims.

On Saturday, hundreds of bikers will join the third annual Ride for the Red poker run to benefit the Northern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross.

All funds raised at the event will fund local disaster response activities and help families devastated by house fires.

"The participation looks good, but we'll still take lots of riders," said Monica Myles, Special Events Coordinator with the Northern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross. "We always get a lot of registrations on the day of the poker run. They wake up, see that it's a beautiful day and want to take a ride. We're hoping for 200 riders."

The local Red Cross chapter set a goal of raising $20,000 between registration fees and prize donations by local businesses, she said.

"This year's ride is 110 miles long to symbolize our 110 years in northern Nevada," Myles said. "It's a big year for us."

Bikers can run the Ride for the Red, starting in stages between 8-10 a.m. at the local Red Cross Office, located at 1190 Corporate Blvd.

"The ride will make stops at Reno Cycles and Gear, Bully's Sports Bar in Fernley, Crosby Lodge at Pyramid Lake and end at Cantina Los Tres Hombres on Victorian Square," Myles said. "Cantina is providing lunch and entertainment for all of our riders and we're so grateful for that."

She said this last year has been particularly busy for the Red Cross, as it rushed relief to victims of natural disasters throughout the world, including Myanmar and China.

"Luckily we're here," Myles said. "It's been a particularly heavy year for disasters, but we're happy with how good the response has been. Although it's been a difficult, we still have a lot of very generous regular donors.

"People can donate specifically to this chapter," Myles added. "We are not federally funded and rely entirely on the community's help."

At the Cantina in Sparks, riders are eligible for a raffle including prizes donated by local restaurants, casinos, motorcycle stores and golf courses. Also, bikers can purchase $10 raffle tickets between now and October for the chance to win a 2008 Polaris Sportsman X2 700 ATV.

Registration forms are available on the chapter web site, www.nevada.redcross.org or call 856-1000.

The cost is $25 per single rider and $40 per double that are pre-registered before Saturday, and $30 per person on the day of the event. The first 175 riders will receive a t-shirt and a pin.

The American Red Cross provides emergency assistance to any individual or family who is displaced due to disasters including floods, earthquakes, wildfires or single family fires. The Red Cross also offers training in disaster preparedness, CPR, AED use, first aid, babysitting and water safety.