By Mani Souphom – R & J Broadcasting | July 15, 2025
WARROAD, Minn. – The Femme Fatale ATV Fun Run is a local event held in Warroad, Minnesota that raises thousands of dollars annually through sponsorships, donations, and participation, then chooses a local charity or community project to bestow the funds unto. This August, the Femme Fatale ATV Run will be embarking on its 20th gathering! KQ92 and KRWB Radio sat down with Penny Turgeon-Kimble of Moxie, the local non-profit that spearheads the annual Femme Fatale ATV Run in Beltrami Island State Forest, to talk about more details on this event and their organization.
Turgeon-Kimble gave us a brief history on the Femme Fatale, from its “tongue-in-cheek” name, to support from friends, and how it evolved into a fundraiser it is today:
In 2016, Loralee Marvin stepped into the picture and encouraged Turgeon-Kimble to collaborate on larger fundraising efforts which resulted in the creation of local nonprofit H.E.L.P.P. Inc. (aptly named as an acronym for Helping Ease Local People’s Pain). The Femme Fatale funding evolved into Moxie (an official 501(c)(3)), with much of the paperwork being driven by Jodi Milford:
We asked Turgeon-Kimble how she went about preparing for the Femme Fatale, and she let us know that she started to prepare for the event as early as January. Some of the challenging work was difficulty in obtaining sponsorships to raise money for the event and donations. She admitted, “…it’s a lot,” but also noted with a sentiment of triumph, “We have created such a wonderful culture in this ride…”
Turgeon-Kimble explained despite the fact that this year a friend would be tracking her time, and the event had turned into riders forming teams, the Femme Fatale isn’t a competition. Through the event’s natural growth, and due to some impact from Covid, the format of the ride had changed. “Once it got over a hundred people, it became really … dusty, and really … hard to run some raffle tickets down the line … it’s evolved.”
She went on to explain details of how the ride was executed, and some prizes or memorabilia that had been available to riders and participants throughout the years:
260 riders have already been pre-registered for 2025’s Femme Fatale, and Turgeon-Kimble let us know that Buddha Marvin would be catering lunch for “…over 300, for sure.” She went on to explain that Femme Fatale participants had come from all across the state and beyond:
The Femme Fatale ATV Run facebook page includes more details on what riders and participants can expect on the day of, including a bevy of prizes the organization has accumulated. Turgeon-Kimble gave us the inside scoop on this year’s grand prize as well:
Turgeon-Kimble explained some of the lessons she learned through the years, from challenges that come up when raising funds, or dealing with inclement weather through the event. She draws on her experience as a business owner to connect and empathize with others. “I am very conscientious of the business climate … everybody’s under so much construction right now … so I try not to hit them up too hard.”
Throughout the years, the Femme Fatale ATV Run has raised anywhere from $3,000 to $60,000 annually to support local organizations and non-profits. In their biggest fundraising year, they donated $18,000 to the Hunter J. Nordlof Be Kind Foundation, and another $18,000 to the Max Marvin Foundation respectively. Other charitable organizations that Moxie has supported include H.E.L.P.P. Inc., the Roseau County Veterans Relief Fund, the Warroad Backpack Program, the Warroad Improvement Fund, and the Penturen Church(a historic site in Beltrami Island State Forest).
This year, all fundraising will go to H.E.L.P.P. once again, due to an increased need.
It’s the Femme Fatale ATV Fun Run’s 20th year, and it’s happening on Saturday, August 2, 2025. If you’re looking to volunteer or help out, Turgeon-Kimble let us know that they were always looking for help setting up large tents on the Wednesday before the event. “We’re very inclusive, and whoever wants to jump in: everybody is welcome.”
For more information, or to contact Penny Turgeon-Kimble about the Femme Fatale ATV Fun Run, visit the Femme Fatale ATV – Moxie Facebook page, or send Turgeon-Kimble a message on Facebook. Reporting from your communities, for your communities, KQ92 and KRWB Radio will continue to cover this and other local stories.
