MARYVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Operation Vet Rescue held a "poker run" fundraiser Saturday afternoon to help homeless veterans in East Tennessee.

"What we do is we go out into these homeless encampments and find homeless veterans and get them off the street and give them a second chance at life," said Mike Carr, head of the nonprofit's street rescue team. "Each veteran costs about $1,500 roughly, depending on their needs."

Carr explained that Operation Vet Rescue was doing a "poker run" fundraiser where motorcyclists drive to different locations to collect cards and whoever had the best hand by the end won the jackpot.

"There's over 500 homeless veterans just in Tennessee itself in the eastern part," said Operation Vet Rescue CEO Stephen Roche. Across the country, there are more than 37,000,

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