Not only does it feel good to help the less fortunate during the holidays, the experience is much more rewarding when passion and kindness is involved. Avid cooks find great pleasure in volunteering at the local food pantry. Artists create masterpieces in the form of greeting cards that will be sent to soldiers stationed overseas. Philanthropists donate money to their favorite holiday charities. Last, but not least, bikers assume the role of Santa Claus and participate in toy runs.
A toy run, which usually takes place between August and December, is an event sponsored by local businesses and individuals where hundreds or thousands of bikers dressed as Santa Claus gather and ride in a motorcycle parade around town. A typical run is about ten miles long. Non-riders, who may be friends, children, and other family members of the participants, as well as the people from the community, are invited to a festival at the end of the designated route. They wait in anticipation for the bike parade’s grand arrival, which is proceeded by a celebration with games, food, drinks, and entertainment.
Each participant must bring a brand new unwrapped toy that will be donated to the charity associated with the event. Most toy runs are affiliated with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, which was founded in 1947 by Major Bill Hendricks and a group of Marine Reservists. Over the course of 64 years, the organization has given over 16.7 million toys to underprivileged children all over the country. Local campaigns, including church events, marathons, Girl Scout fundraisers, and toy runs, in all 50 states have helped make Toy for Tots a smashing success.
The idea for a toy motorcycle run was formed in the late 1970s and continued to take shape into the early 1980s. Major cities like Chicago adopted the tradition early on, and soon more cities followed suit. Today, not only do toy runs take place in metropolitan cities such as Houston, Phoenix, Chicago, San Diego, Philadelphia, Honolulu, Boston, New York City, Nashville, and Seattle, they are also found in more rural communities such as Wichita, KS; DeKalb, IL; and Tobyhanna, PA.
Many bikers are emotionally involved with the cause, for various reasons. At such events, it is not unusual to see the biggest and baddest biker in town shed tears over heartwarming stories shared by others. Attendees know that they are all there for the same reason – to help the less fortunate – and the knowledge that they are doing something great brings them all closer together. Because toy motorcycle runs inspire the powerful feeling of unity and benevolence in all people involved, it is no mystery that these events become more and more popular each year.
Anyone who’s interested in participating in a local toy run may look for flyers at nearby dealerships and shops. S/he can also visit biker forums or even perform a simple Google search to locate a local toy run website. If nothing is found, s/he may browse the list of events at CycleFish
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