Brandy Winfield was one of Chris Sanders' best friends.

Sanders wanted to do something more for the Marion County sheriff's deputy who died in the line of duty eight months ago.

A member of a military veterans' motorcycle club that organized a fund-raising poker run in memoriam of Marion police officer Steve Young, Sanders decided to head up organization of a similar event for Winfield.

The 2-year-old Steve Young event raised $3,000 last year for the local Fraternal Order of Police lodge, and the Winfield run by Friday had already raised $3,000 to cover costs of putting on the event, Sanders said.

"It's going to be an annual event," he said.

Planning by a volunteer staff of 10 people began in January with a goal of raising $2,000 each for a trust fund for the children of Brandy and Sara Winfield and a scholarship fund in honor of the deputy.

"We should easily exceed those (objectives)," Sanders said.

Criteria for the scholarship are not finalized, but it probably will go to a Marion County student studying to be a law enforcement officer in Marion County, he said. Eventually, proceeds from the poker run probably will shift mostly to the scholarship fund, he said.

"The community support has just been tremendous," he said.

The hundreds of motorcyclists participating in the run were to join the Cruisin' for Dialysis, which was held downtown Saturday, before heading to Marion Cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony.

"The Cruisin' has been great to us, and we wanted to give back," said Sanders, adding that having the fund-raisers on the same date helped both events.